I’m trying to hold back the excitement I have today! This afternoon my daughter and I are driving down to Scottsdale, AZ so she can compete in this weekend’s regional qualifier of the Drive Chip & Putt Championship!

Back in July she finished second overall in one of the Nevada local qualifiers and by doing so punched her ticket to Arizona and the first regional round. It was a nice improvement over last year’s event where she came up a few points shy of making it to the second round.

A year ago she struggled with the chipping; everyone did though not just Emma. They didn’t do the kids any favors by making the shot very difficult. Because of that situation last year we spent a lot of time preparing for that section of the competition, and this time around she did a fantastic job. Better than any of the other competitors that day taking home 1^st place for Chipping.

Here’s a video I made of her participating in this year’s local event which was held at Stallion Mountain Golf Club here in Las Vegas.

I was so proud of her. She had worked really hard in the weeks leading up to the local qualifier and it paid off. Some really good putting landed her in the second overall spot and earned us a weekend road trip!

Now we’re headed off to Scottsdale and the Grayhawk Golf Club to compete in this weekend’s regional qualifier. Only the top two girls get to move on to Salt Lake City in a few weeks so she is going to need a very good performance.

Regardless of the outcome, I couldn’t be happier with her progress. She’s turning into a really good little golfer right before my eyes! More importantly, she’s still having fun and that’s all I really care about at this stage. Making it to the second round is just a bonus as far as I’m concerned. I believe she’s getting some valuable experience in a competitive format and the interaction with the other kids her age who also play golf is priceless.

For me, even thought I get incredibly excited when I see her do well, it’s all about seeing her face light up when she’s playing. That alone makes it all worth it!

Wish her luck!