SAN FRANCISCO – In the latest installment of USF's cable television show, "Behind the Mask," we take a look at women's golf junior Samantha Gong. Gong is the unquestioned leader of a young Don's team.  The segment talks about her involvement in The First Tee, the importance of her family, and her commitment to helping build the program.
 
Gong just wrapped up her third season for the Dons where she played in all 10 tournaments and finished with an average round score of 75.36 which was second on the team. She boasted seven rounds at par or better and carded finished the 84 birdies and one eagle on the year, the 84 birdies was tops on the team.  The culmination of the season was a top-10 finish at the WCC Championships where she finished tied for eighth – her best finish ever in the WCC Tournament. 
 
The native of San Francisco first got into golf at a very young age as a member of The First Tee.  The First Tee is a "youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to kids and teens." From a large family herself, Gong started playing at a young age learning the proper swinging mechanics on plastic clubs while hitting tennis balls.  Her natural talents were evident at a young age when one of the coaches approached Gong's parents and asked if she could take her under her wing.
 
The segment also dives into the importance of her parents and her father and how pushed her to achieve her dream of becoming a Division I golfer.  The segment wraps up with how far Gong has come in three years on the Hilltop, from winning a prestigious tournament her sophomore year to become a vocal leader of a young Dons team that was devoid of senior leadership this season.
 
The episode will also feature a segment on volleyball player Anna Dalla Vecchia, the Don' Italian sophomore who just wrapped up a very successful beach season.  The episode will also feature a segment on track and field's Sadi Henderson and Dana Klein to grad transfers who are helping the Dons excel on the track. As always, the episode will conclude with "Playmakers," highlighting top team and individual performances from USF athletes.
 
Check local listings for your cable provider's station guide and additional air dates and times each month. Segments from the show, as well as past seasons of "Behind the Mask" can also be found on-demand on USF Athletics' Youtube channel.
 
To tune in to the show in the San Francisco Bay Area, NBC Sports California can typically be found on channel 698 for DirecTV customers, 438 on the Dish Network, 412-01 on Dish Hopper packages, 767 on U-Verse and 41 on most Comcast packages. CSN Bay Area can be generally be accessed at channel 40 on Comcast, 41 on the Dish Network, 696 for DirecTV subscribers, and at 770 on U-Verse.