Single figure handicap...

Now that is extraordinary!

Leela achieved a single figure handicap (9.3) on the 15th of July, 2007 playing in the regional finals at Kirchheim Golf Club.

She finished a very respectable sixth in this under 15's tournament and thus qualified for the national finals.

Unfortunately one of the organisers noticed that her surname was not german and contacted me regarding Leela's nationality.

As she is British she could no longer proceed to the finals on the 4th and 5th of August. We were a little disappointed but decided to work towards a lower single figure handicap for the rest of the season.

She played a couple of tournaments before the end of July and although she did play quite well, the new handicap and some rough summer weather lead to her handicap going up to(9.5).

I was starting to think that the single figure handicap was proving a little tough so I decided to use the 'extraordinary golf method' to make the game a little easier and more fun for her.

On the same weekend as the national finals, I entered her in a competetive local event, and she found herself in a foursome with three good male players. They were long hitters and I thought it would be a good challenge for Leela.

I sent her out after a quick session on the range where I looked at her full swing. I usually advise her to work on her rhythm just before teeing off but this time I told her to work on the softness of her grip.

I managed to catch up with her during the short break at the turn and asked her how it was going.

"I was five over after five holes but I have managed to play the last four in one under so I'm still in with a chance of beating my handicap."

I knew that if she kept working on forming the plasticine grip and making sure her pre-shot was carried out with 100% concentration, the inward nine would work out fine.

Leela knew how to do this and I was delighted to see she was adopting these little idiosyncracies on the tenth tee.

A couple of hours later she skipped with delight down from the 18th green into the proshop with the good news about her round.

She beamed and exclaimed with delight, "I think I shot my record today." Her mother, Helen, and I were both very happy for her because she had been very disappointed that she could not go to the national finals but this would lift her spirts for the rest of the season.

But the biggest surprise came when we got to the prize giving a little later. We were totally dumbfounded by how well she had actually played.

Becoming the youngest ever at our club to shoot a scratch stableford score of over 30 points (31).

She had also cut even deeper into her single figure handicap, now standing at 8.3, leading the next best lady who has a 9.1 handicap.

The club championship in four weeks is her next big challenge and I am looking forward to her reply to another challenge we set at the start of the year.

Three rounds in the 70's during this stroke play event.

Wouldn't that fully establish her as a single figure handicap player to be reckoned with and still only twelve years old.

Until the next report.

S.MacD. (The proud father and coach to Leela)

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