Brother-Sister Tandem Leading Rye Neck Golf

Sometimes on the course they just can't help it. It's in their nature. There's always going to be a little bit of a sibling rivalry between Rye Neck fraternal twins Michael and Whitney Spiegel. They're used to it.

The two are finishing up their freshmen year at Rye Neck High School, but it's after school where this brother and sister pair gets to compete against one another. Michael and Whitney are two of the top golfers on the Panthers this season.

During practice, Michael may suggest a friendly wager on who can get closest to the pin. Whitney will usually oblige, and the competition commences. But no matter the winner, both know victory will be short-lived.

"It's pretty fun to play with her," Michael said. "Sometimes I'll win and sometimes she does. If she wins she might suggest to me that I didn't play my best game today. But it's all in fun. I can't duplicate playing with her."

But on the course it's all about focusing on the match. Michael – the No. 1 player on the team – and Whitney – currently the fourth golfer on Rye Neck – have only played in the same group during a match once. It was a unique experience for both players.

"Whenever I play with her I feel more comfortable," Michael said. "She'll ask me questions or we'll give each other advice. I'll tell her to think about this shot or I'll give her the yardage or the wind. I'll try and help out the best I can."

"I'm glad to be able to share something with my brother," Whitney said. "When we played together we just encouraged each other as much as possible."

Head Coach Mark Canno knows his program is in good shape as two of his better players still have three more years in high school to improve.

"Going forward they have a chance to play one and two, to be the two best golfers on the team," Canno said. "It's really nice to have them both on the team. They're a perfect mix of being competitive, but not taking it too seriously."

Even though their personalities are a little different – Michael is more outgoing, while Whitney tends to be a little quieter – their play on the course is eerily similar. Even that may come as a surprise for those who see the two lining up their tee shot.

Michael is taller at 5 feet, 10 inches, and weighs 160 pounds. Having played football in the fall, it's expected that he will hit a long ball off the tee. But his sister, even though she's noticeably smaller, isn't too far behind in the fairway.

Michael has also made the transition to high school golf easier for Whitney. There are only a handful of girls that play with the boys in Section 1. Out of the nearly 300 players, only about 20 are girls. The number has gone down in recent years as more and more teams are starting up a girls team. Because it is such a small school, Canno does not expect Rye Neck to have the capacity or interest to begin a girls program. ButWhitney doesn't mind, she's used to playing with the boys.

"At first it was a little tough because I didn't know anyone on the team, but my brother definitely helped me feel more comfortable." Whitney said. "The team's really supportive of one another. It was just something I got used to. I'm a little different than other girls. I'm used to playing with boys from the (long) tees."

It's only been one year of playing high school golf together, but both brother and sister know how lucky they are.

 "It's a sport we both love," Whitney said. "And it's something we love to do together."