Emerson Roychoudhury

Leesburg, VA

Ashburn, VA

6th

Creighton Farms, Leesburg, VA

Right

4

33 in 9 holes/72 in 18 holes

1.1

I went to the driving range with my father. He told me I had a very advanced swing and I enjoyed it. I would also read old Jack Nicklaus books before bed and I enjoyed the stories of his famous victories.

My dad

My sister Maeve

Scott Holmes and Erika Larkin. Erika has been my primary coach since 2016 and has been such a great mentor to me. Scott gave me my first lessons at age 6 and is my Jr. PGA coach who has been working with me a lot on swing fundamentals and my mental approach.

You can always get better. Most of all I enjoy being able to make new friends and play with other kids and adults when we travel and really learn more about their lives.

Putting

The mental aspect and the fact you can’t change what happens in the past

Wedge, because I am proud of my chipping and getting the ball close with my wedge.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah, Turtle Point at Kiawah and Creighton Farms

Winning my region in DCP

Yes , I advanced to the regional finals for the Mid-Atlantic states and just missed moving on to the finals. I am very motivated each day to make it next year.

University of MD / 1st / I wasn’t hitting my driver well at all,so I was proud of myself for hitting three straight and safe drives. As my dad says, “survive and advance”.

River Bend / 2nd /The same chip stopped me the past three years at this course. I managed to chip well and finish 2nd by one point.

Oak Hill / 1st / I practiced so hard to prepare for this and I’ll never forget the feeling I got when I knew I won. Mostly I remember getting a text from Avery Zweig about an hour before I started and it really meant a lot to me and provided some real joy and motivation.

Yes. 2016 (didn't make it out of the first round) / 2017 (made it to the second round but it conflicted with US Kids Worlds) / 2018 (lost in sub-regional at River Bend)/ 2019 (lost in sub-regional at River Bend)

Yes, I watch every year. I felt like this year was my year. Last year was the first year I watched and knew several different kids and not just Avery.

Chipping, driving and putting

My bedtime stories when I was really little were of the '75 and' 86 Masters with Jack Nicklaus. It was always great to see his amazing putt in '75 on No. 16 and his great second nine in ‘86.

Current golf would be watching Jordan Spieth win the The Open after hitting a drive way off the fairway and making a long putt to get a bogey.

Jack Nicklaus, because when I met him he was so kind and generous with his time and he’s watched me swing and is a huge Buckeye like me. I’ve always had a great time spending time with Barbara as well. Jack sent me a hat before my first trip to the US Kids World Championships in 2016 that I still wear today.

Rina Tatematsu at Oklahoma State. She spent a lot of time with me when I went to camp in Stillwater last year. It was so fun, and Rina walked with me when we played the nine-hole tournament at the end of camp and I was fortunate enough to win!

Jordan Spieth, I love the way he gets out of trouble on the course. My nickname is Little Jordan Spieth because I often get into trouble and manage to save par frequently.

I hit balls with Jack Nicklaus a few years in a row as well as other famous people such as Roger Clemens and Rollie Fingers and a few other PGA Tour players.

Justin Fields, Jack Nicklaus and my dad

I have had a Woody Hayes ball marker since I was little as well as a hat Jack Nicklaus sent to me that I use in big moments.

Beef ribs (our tailgating tradition), jalapeño poppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Plus home-made Buckeyes using my mom's recipe.

Bible

Mrs. Mittler

College football (Go Buckeyes). From the moment I was born, Ohio State football has been a huge part of my family culture.

Casablanca, Rear Window, Pink Panther (with Peter Sellers), Airplane and High Anxiety

Donna Fargo, because she is” the happiest girl in the whole USA” (I used to have that on my golf balls for big tournaments.

Carrol Burnett Show, Charlie's Angels, M*A*S*H and The Rockford Files

Facepalm

Basketball, watching college football and reading

I have been very lucky in that I do have struggles like everyone but I manage to overcome them. I have had a hard year in many respects - my mom says it’s hormones and part of growing up - but life can be frustrating. Mental health has become a really big topic these days. I’m very lucky that I’ve worked with and continue to see some great mental coaches. I’ve really been taught the philosophy of E+R = O (Event + Response = Outcome) and I try to use this in nearly every choice I am faced with big and small. Knowing that I can only control my response is helpful to me in cutting out a lot of the stress in any decision.

Woody Hayes, Jack Nicklaus , Donna Fargo, Ronald Reagan and Billy Graham

A quote from a Lou Holtz speech my dad had us listen to all the time W-I-N = What’s Important Now. I use it every day in every aspect of my life.

I’ve grown up a college football junkie because of the culture in my house, always watching old games and learning about the great traditions. I have always wanted to be the next Keith Jackson and be the voice of college football someday.

I was raised to admire heroes. From the time I can remember I was raised to look up to and appreciate people who were able to do great things. I never had what I found to be a “normal” bedtime routine. Sure I got stories nearly every night and I would be neatly tucked-in with my favorite bears snuggled close to me. However, my bedtimes were anything but normal. My dad would put me to bed with bedtime stories ranging from the ‘79 or ‘68 Ohio State-Michigan game or the 1975 Masters or the '75 World Series, sometimes he would tell the story of how our troops may have had the biggest goal-line stand in the history of the world when we won the Battle of Midway, or the bravery it took for our soldiers to take Omaha Beach on D-Day. Sometimes we would have a lighter day and he would have me watch old Johnny Carson interviews to (in his words) "learn how to have a proper conversation", or watch a speech by Jim Valvano and learn how heroes can rise in all different ways. For example, when other kids were watching Disney movies, my first movie was Casablanca. My favorite tv show was Bugs Bunny. Some kids were watching the Lion King, we were watching When We Were Kings. I didn’t know who Simba was but, I sure knew who George Foreman was! I am saying all of this because it describes me as a person. I wouldn’t trade it for anything! All of the stories and movies/TV shows I’ve watched have shaped me to be who I am. Our family believes in the value of spending time TOGETHER and not on electronics. There was never a day when there wasn’t a plan on what we would discuss. Sometimes I would feel like it was different. I remember being at a birthday party when I was four, and someone brought up the Cincinnati Reds. So of course I named the starting lineup of the '75 Reds. When I was cheered on by a room full of dads, I started to wonder if all kids got the stories I was getting as a kid. It took me a long time to realize most kids don’t go to bed with hero stories. Now that I am 12, all those moments come back to me when I need them most. When I golf, people call me “Little Jordan Spieth” because of my regular ability to find my way to par after a wayward shot or two on a hole. When I was interviewed after I won the DCP event at Oak Hill, I remembered how to speak well on the spot. I love golf so much because of the fun I have playing and the amazing people I have met over the years. I am so thrilled to be a part of such an historic event as the Masters. I mean I could almost recite the dramatic end to the '75 Masters or how Jack won the '86 Masters because I heard the stories so many times (Yes Sir!).