GREEN BAY — Most golfers dream of playing at Augusta. For 12-year-old Hallie Fisch from Suamico, she’ll be playing there in a couple of weeks.
“Sometimes I could be playing with my friends or I could go out and play golf, and I would probably choose golf,” Hallie said.
Watch Hallie's story here!
Fisch is headed to play at Augusta National, home of the Masters, on April 5. She’s one of a handful of golfers in her age group who qualified to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt event.
“I’m super excited to go to Augusta,” she said. “I mean, driving down Magnolia Lane, seeing the course is a big dream of mine, so I’m very excited to go to Augusta.”
It’s a golf competition where you actually want a high score. All participants hit three drives, three chips, three putts, and then you earn a score based on how well you do.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I’m very excited to compete in something like this,” said Hallie.
Hallie has been around golf since she was 4. Her father, Jason, loved the game, and because her mom worked from home at the time her Dad had to bring her along.
“She started wanting to play, and I would tee her up on the tees, and then I would hit, and then wherever I landed, she would tee up, and then I’d just throw a ball on the green, and it kind of just grew from there,” Jason said.
Hallie entered her first competition at age 7. Her dad says she’s always had a natural grind for the sport — she’s never phased by a bad shot.
“She'll have a bad hole, and then the next hole she’ll par or birdie it, right?” he said. “She just figures out ways to bounce back even if her swing isn’t where she wants it to be that day.”
Hallie now competes in the PGA Junior League, U.S. Kids tournaments and even a local league. She says she couldn’t do it without her family.
“My entire family is my whole support system,” said Hallie. “They’re awesome. They guide me through everything.”
And that success means her whole family is headed to Georgia to watch her, and they’re sticking around to watch the Masters.
“Yeah, we thanked her a bunch,” Jason laughed. “We thanked her a bunch, and we’re super excited that we all get to go.”
