Like a true competitive golfer, Grady Ortiz will seize upon any advice that will help him gain an edge. Even if it comes while on a visit to the orthodontist’s office.
Seems that when Grady mentioned to his orthodontist about his upcoming trip to Augusta National, another orthodontist overheard the conversation and related that he had been to the course with his son a year ago.
It prompted more talk, an exchange of phone numbers, and when Grady called Kaden Ford, the kids from Colorado Springs, Colo., talked golf strategy. And exactly what advice did Ford offer?
“He said the greens were really fast,” Grady said.
So, with that information in his back pocket, Grady set out for Augusta National Golf Club. He’s only 8, so there aren’t any visions of a Green Jacket dancing in his head; but the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals surely present as grand a stage as any young golfer can have.
Exactly how impressive is this?
“I’m over-excited,” said Benny Nelson, a 9-year-old from Los Angeles, who added that he had a way to channel too much excitement.
“Breathe,” he laughed.
Ah, the glory of sports competition when placed into the world of young kids who still have proper perspective and smiles that are unyielding.
Augusta National Golf Club will provide the stage for the sixth year of the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on Sunday morning, and the desire to perform well will be real. But after a steady arrival on Thursday and Friday, most of the 80 competitors had Saturday to bask in the glow of their accomplishment.
So they made their way to The River Club in North Augusta, S.C., to renew acquaintances, meet new friends, share their qualifying stories and squeeze in some practicing. If they were feeling any pressure about Sunday morning’s competition, it wasn’t noticeable.
What was evident was the power of this initiative, which was announced in 2013 and began prior to the 2014 Masters. These young golfers know about the DCP, are in tune with the magic of Augusta National and make it a goal to be here.
"Tomorrow, you national finalists are our heroes" - Chairman Ridley
Chase Hughes, for instance, is an 8-year-old from Oklahoma City, Okla., who watched good friends Evyn Cannon and Michael Jorski compete at Augusta National a year ago and met the challenge to get here himself in 2019. He’ll compete against Grady, Benny and seven others in the Boys 7-9 division.
And Alec Cesare, 14, of Carmel, Ind., concedes that seeing his peers on TV at Augusta National in 2018 “motivated me to work harder to become more confident and be ready to win.”
At Saturday night’s dinner to celebrate the 80 national finalists, Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, spoke to that sense of motivation.
“Tomorrow, you national finalists are our heroes,” Ridley said. “We are all rooting for you. Soak in every moment and most importantly, have fun.”
He applauded the short, but brilliant history of this national competition and said he always had “a simple answer” to questions about why Augusta National hosts the National Finals.
“It can be seen in the smiles on the faces (of the competitors). The enthusiasm is absolutely infectious. Our members and past champions can feel it. Our patrons feel it. And the viewers watching on The Golf Channel feel it.”
Those viewers, by the way, will hear a spirited introduction narrated by a rather motivated athlete himself. At the dinner, the 80 finalists and their parents and family members were treated to a sneak preview of that introduction eloquently read by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
That video clip was just one more highlight to a week that will be filled with them for these young golfers.
Before the dinner, if there was a happier competitor going through her practice routine than Gabriella Moorehead Saturday, you’d have been hard-pressed to find him or her. The 9-year-old from Burlington, N.C., was accompanied by her coach, Ted Bonham, and even if she wasn’t hitting her drive as she wanted, she smiled.
“I love it when people are happy,” is what Gabriella submitted as a personal description of herself, and Bonham said it spoke to the way they are treating this competition.
“We’re trying to keep things in perspective,” he said. “It’s exciting, and she is excited, but we are trying to not let the excitement become a distraction.”
The session hitting the driver was getting to the point where Bonham could tell Gabriella wanted to end it. He encouraged her to hit a “few good ones,” and Gabriella seemed to know what that meant.
“I’ve been teaching her for two years, and all she wants to do is putt,” Bonham said. “That’s unusual. But the reward (for practicing the other parts of the game) is a putting competition between us.”
A glance was thrown Gabriella’s way, and she knew what that meant. So did Bonham, who laughed, having anticipated the young girl’s answer.
“I always win the putting,” Gabriella said.
If that holds true Sunday morning, Gabriella will have quite an audience watching.
