Virginia Golfer Jan / Feb 2016 | Page 22

V S The Golfers Of The Year G A Caroline Curtis VSGA JUNIOR GIRLS’ GOLFER OF THE YEAR HOME CLUB: Hermitage Country Club HIGH SCHOOL: Collegiate School, Richmond 2015 ACCOMPLISHMENTS » The 14-year-old Curtis, seeded fourth, CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT The victory in Myrtle Beach was a breakthrough first in an AJGA open tournament. “The most exciting moment was on 18. I had a one-stroke lead and I hit my 20 OFF THE COURSE Caroline is a freshman at Collegiate. She gave up playing school basketball this year (they will miss her height), but she has attended as many games as possible to cheer for her friends who still play. She stepped away from tournament golf after an AJGA tournament at Thanksgiving and was fitted for new clubs in December. She has been working on her game and fitness: “not just golf, but everything that comes with it.” V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 6 reached the semifinals of the VSGA Women’s Amateur Championship at the Country Club of Fairfax. » Tied for 10th at the VSGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship. » Medalist (7-under-par 65 at Willow Oaks CC) in Richmond Women’s Golf Association Championship and reached semifinals. » Won AJGA Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C.; finished fifth in AJGA Toyota Music City Junior in Nashville, Tenn. » Invited to AJGA Nike Junior All-Star Invitational. AJGA QUICK TIP Curtis’s focus is on the mental side of the game, “on keeping steady and not getting too high or too low and just maintaining composure during the whole round to score better. Once I’m done with a hole I write the score down before I tee off on the next hole so I can just forget about [that one] and just focus on the hole I have ahead and just go shot by shot.” shot to about 15 feet from the hole. I kind of knew I had it and so I was able to let go of all the anxiety and it was just a really, really exciting moment for me.” vsga.org