Lauren’s 2009 season recap.
This year Lauren dramatically improved her golfing skills and also made strides in her personal growth and maturity. She now wants to practice to improve her skills and she routinely sets goals for herself. The season started with her playing the regional tournament at Jeckyl Island, Georgia, where she struggled with her swing and ended up 19^th out of 21 girls. This was her first tournament at this level of competition so we were pleased with her attitude and determination to do her best and her efforts to improve. Once spring arrived she hit the ground running practicing harder than ever. She started with a new coach, Joanne Flynn with Windham Country Club, who she immediately connected with and has grown to enjoy her instruction and example that Joanne sets for a confident and successful woman. Lauren also worked with The First Tee of New Hampshire in the spring. She also enjoys the instructors there and she especially likes Jim Blalock with his cool and calm instruction style. Jim taught her how to do a flop shot and she has practiced it a great deal this season to where she is confident to use it in tournaments with great success. Jim also helped her with other aspects of her game and Lauren also enjoys the “Play with a Pro” program that The First Tee has to offer.

The first tournament of the season was an important one for Lauren. It was a World Championship Qualifier tournament where the winner in each age division (with a minimum score) qualifies to be invited to play in the World Championships at Pinehurst, NC later in the summer. Lauren easily won the tournament and scored a 43 which is much better than the 47 minimum needed to qualify! Lauren then went on to play in two local tours for US Kids Golf, the Boston tour and the Connecticut tour. The Boston tour had some very good competition and she routinely placed 2^nd or 3^rd and secured third place in the point standings for the entire season. The last tournament for the Boston tour was especially memorable. For the first time she had three birdies in one 9-hole game and ended up shooting even par for the match! She came in second in that tournament in front of the girl who placed 9^th in the world this summer and always plays very well.

For the Connecticut tour, she routinely placed first or second and secured the top spot of Player of the Year for the tour! This automatically qualifies her for the World Championships next year at Pinehurst.

Lauren also participated in the New Hampshire Women’s Golf Association Junior Golf Tournament in Manchester, NH. There she was grouped with girls that were not just 9 but 9- 11 years old. Lauren played a magnificent game and ended up in the 9-hole match at 2 under par! She shot a 33 with par being a 35. Needless to say she won first place in that match and received a lovely trophy. We are proud of this accomplishment since she played with different competitors, with no caddies allowed, on a course that she has never played before and just played an awesome game! During this match she shot her first ever eagle on the second hole! This was after a double bogey on the opening hole. She showed perseverance, determination and self control to not let that bother her!

For the World Championships at Pinehurst she did not play her best game. Again, it was a bit overwhelming to be playing against 74 very good 9 year old players from all over the world! She held it together and ended up 63^rd in the standings which is a respectable finish for a first appearance. She is already looking towards next year to improve her standing. She enjoyed being around Pinehurst and getting to know other girls from all over the world. She was not upset about coming in 63^rd; in fact she is quite proud of it as she should be. It is an accomplishment to just be there and she is aware of that.

With all these great accomplishments it was still not enough, she still had it in her to add one more to the list before the end of the season.  She signed up for the regional tournament in Port St Lucie FL, The US Kids Golf, PGA Invitational Tournament. This is a tournament which is at the same level as the Jeckyl Island tournament that she started this year off with. You may recall she came in 19^th out of 21 girls. Well, at this tournament she showed how much she has improved her game. After the first day of a two day match, she shot a 38 and she was in second place!! This despite ending up in a bunker twice, but thanks to Jim Blalock she used her flop shot and got out with grace. The girl in first place had placed 6^th in the world at Pinehurst and the girl in Third place had placed 7^th in the world! The second day started well and through the first five holes she was even par tied for second and one stroke behind the leader! On the 6^th hole she hit a shot into the water for a double bogey and bogeyed two more holes to end up four over par.  So she finished in 3^rd place three strokes in front of a six way tie for fourth place. So she went from 19^th place at the beginning of the season to a strong third place finish at the end! We are so proud of her! Now she is looking forward to an exciting and successful season next year!