Rays of light

Young trio provides hope for the future of women's golf

Lately I've gotten a lot of e-mails from golf fans concerned about the future of the women's professional game. Relax everybody. Last week I learned firsthand that the sport has nothing to worry about.

Last Monday afternoon, the little instant message box on my computer screen beeped. The message: "Hey what are you doing? Do you want to play golf tomorrow?" The senders were 15-year-old Aree and Naree Wongluekiet. The twins, who attend the David Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, Fla, were busy burning some music when they saw me online. I promised to make the 80-mile trip from Fort Myers to take them up on the offer.

THE SHAG BAG It's official! Marlene Hagge is the newest member of the LPGA Hall of Fame. The 26-time tour champion, who was voted in by the veterans committee, received the requisite 75 percent of the votes cast. Hagge, who joined the tour when she was 16, was the leading money winner in 1956 with 10 victories. ... The ANZ Australian Masters was billed as the "Main Event" and even had heavyweights Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb posing in boxing stances in promotional posters. Well, the two didn't disappoint, going head-to-head in extra holes to determine a winner on Saturday. The Swede needed four extra holes at Royal Pines Golf Club to defeat Webb, who was looking for her fifth consecutive Masters title. ... Catherine Cartwright, the youngest member of the LPGA Tour at 18, will donate her first winnings check to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). She will also give $25 for every birdie she makes throughout year on the both the Futures and LPGA Tours to the SOWF. The SOWF provides college scholarship grants based on need, financial aid and educational counseling to the children of Special Operations personnel killed in the line of duty. Call 941-992-3338 to pledge a donation. ... According to the LPGA, Sue Ginter married tour caddy Dave Brooker this winter. I'm very disappointed that I didn't receive a formal announcement or an invitation from the couple. I guess Sue is still upset over that two-shot penalty. ... Sally Dee, who played in only five events in 2001, spent her time off the tour last year hiking the Machu Picchu mountains. Dee had surgery to repair a severed tendon in her left elbow in July. ... Veteran Dale Eggling was also seen in Tampa and was looking like a teenager. Despite knee surgery this past winter, the 47-year-old is in the best shape of her life.

On Tuesday, I met the girls for lunch at the IMG Academies clubhouse-turned-cafeteria. The academy is a school/sportscamp for some of the elite athletes from around the world. As we filled up on the chicken marsala, pasta and fresh pineapple, baseball, soccer and tennis players, not to mention other golfers, filed in, emptying three buffet lines.

As Naree tried to cut strawberries with a spoon, a blonde with an Hispanic accent approached our table to say hello. Nicole Perrot, the reigning U.S. Girls Junior champion from Chile, informed Aree and Naree that she would be joining them on the course that afternoon.

Perrot had a book in hand. Although the 18 year old has already graduated from high school, she is taking English classes three times a week at the Pendelton Academy -- the school on the IMG property. "I thought it would be good to work on it now, instead of waiting 'til I get on tour," explained Perrot. (Her English is already better than that of most of the Korean players on the LPGA tour.)

After lunch we walked to the Wongluekiets' apartment, where they have lived with their parents for the last four years since leaving Thailand. On the way, Aree was distracted by one of the male golfers driving a shiny new Mercedes SUV. "Hey nice ride, do you want to play for it?" Aree asked.

"No way," said the boy. "You always kill me."

The first thing that caught my eye Inside the modest two-bedroom apartment were the walls covered with trophies and newspaper clips of the twins' accomplishments. Taped on the glass of the entertainment center were the schedules for all of the professional golf tours. This past winter the twins qualified for the Futures Tour -- the official developmental tour of the LPGA -- but they have their sights set on playing with the big girls.

"We are in Nabisco and we got an invite to Rochester," said Naree about their plans on playing the LPGA tour this year. "So we have two more but we don't know where yet."

As if I needed more evidence that these young girls are the ultimate golf junkies, I noticed the extra room, a small porch off the living room with the high ceiling, had been turned into an indoor practice area complete with putting green, swing aids and mirrors.

As we drove out to the Legacy Golf Course in Sarasota, Aree and Naree had to take me their favorite spot in Bradenton -- the driving range set in a retirement mobile-home park. During the half-hour drive the twins studied for their upcoming permit test and were quite inquisitive about some of the rules of the road.

"So Tom, why do you have to stop for a school bus? Tom, have you ever gotten a DUI? Did you know that that is permanently on your record? Tom, you know you can get a ticket right now for not wearing your seat belt?" (A heads up to all drivers: both passed and will soon be terrorizing a highway near you.)

As we warmed up on the range while waiting for Perrot to show up, the twins spent as much time laughing as they did hitting balls. My golf swing was the cause of most of their giggles. "Oh, my," Naree said. "Are you trying to sit down or hit a golf ball?" Aree asked as she imitated my unorthodox swing.

Within minutes, Aree took it upon herself to fix my problems. "Level your shoulders, put more weight on your toes and narrow your stance." As I continued to hit an array of low-duck hooks, I had my doubts about Aree becoming David Leadbetter but later that would all change.

Perrot finally arrived in what the twins described as an old coke can. The rusty-red late-model RD (The FO in Ford had fallen off the bumper) may have not been as shiny as the Mercedes but it was transportation. "It gets me to golf course. It sure beats riding the school bus," said Perrot, pointing to a big yellow bus that had just brought over 20 golfers from the academy.

On the first tee, we were joined by a sports psychologist, Martha Cobo. The Colombian native works with all of the kids at the Leadbetter Academy. On this day, she was working with Aree on visualizing her short shots and with Naree on becoming more committed on her shot selections.

After watching all three players rip their balls down the middle of the fairway, the last thing I needed was a golf shrink. But I would make Cobo proud as I visualized a perfect drive and committed to using the new technique. I even shocked myself as the drive went straight and carried some 30 yards past Aree's drive. The 310-yard drive was no doubt the best of my life. Just like George Constanza on Seinfeld, I proclaimed, "I quit. It can't get better than this so I might as well quit now." I would make a par on the first hole, but I should have stopped given that I topped my drive on the next hole.

Since I had caddied for Aree on several occasions, I knew the twins could hit the ball as solidly as any player on the LPGA, but I was equally impressed with Perrot. With her muscular lower body and effortless swing, she reminded me of Se Ri Pak. Even though this was just a practice round, Perrot, who also qualified for the Futures Tour, drove the ball a consistent 260 yards and hit basically every green. Equally impressive, she constantly smiled, displaying her bubbly personality.

As our nine-hole round ended, we all said our thanks and goodbyes. "See you at Nabisco," said Perrot, who also got an invite and will remain an amateur until then. "Yeah, see you at Nabisco," said Aree.

"Yeah, see you on the LPGA" I said. That might have been a little premature, but I have no doubt these three will one day be battling on tour.

Tom Hanson, a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus section, is a longtime caddie on the LPGA Tour. Click here to send him a question or comment.

 

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