When Ava Chen saw her dad practicing his golf stroke in the backyard of their Bay Ridge home during the pandemic, she decided to take a swing at it.
Now, the 11-year-old is set to compete in The Drive, Chip, and Putt Championship in Augusta, Ga. this Sunday, an annual competition held at the start of the prestigious Masters Tournament.
Between daily practice sessions and cross-country tournaments on the weekends, Chen has kept her family busy: “[My dad] doesn't have the time to play anymore, because I sort of stole his time.”
Chen said it is hard to balance her golf priorities with her schoolwork as a student at Poly Prep Country Day School.
“I have my homework done every day, but it drags my sleep time down a little bit… I don't get to sleep till like nine or 10, even later sometimes,” Chen told BK Reader as her dad drove her to a tournament in Georgia. “But it's fine. I am used to it. So as long as I could get on top of my academics and play good golf at the same time, I think it'll work.”
If Chen comes out at the top of her age group on Sunday, she will become the third winner from New York in Drive, Chip, and Putt history.
Chen and the former New York winners share a common lineage: all three trained at the City Parks Foundation's Junior Golf Center, located next to the Dyker Beach Golf Course. The center provides instruction and equipment at no cost to students and their families. It’s open exclusively to young New York residents aged six to 17.
Prior to joining the program, Chen practiced almost entirely in indoor simulators. To be able to practice on an outdoor course in New York City dedicated to young golfers is “very rare and very valuable,” her father David Chen said.
The City Parks Foundation first launched its youth golf program in 1999, using modified equipment to transform baseball fields into temporary golf facilities.
“We brought the game of golf directly to kids in their local neighborhood parks,” said Jonathan Gamberg, the director of CityParks Play, a division of the City Parks Foundation.
Over 1,000 children came to tee up during the program’s first year, he said.
Though the nonprofit has continued to set up makeshift courses, the opening of the Junior Golf Center in 2008 was a turning point for youth golf in the city. Now, a spot in the program is wildly in-demand: The Chen family waited two years in the lottery before securing a spot.
Once offered a space, students are enrolled in a weekly lesson grouped by age and ability. They may also participate in open practice sessions—an option Chen takes advantage of daily.
“She's out there every day. That’s part of the reason why she’s here and in this position, competing at such a high level nationally,” said Gamberg. “All the kids in our program have that opportunity.”
Gamberg said he was excited that a young New York City golfer is now able to compete at a national level. “Years ago, it would've been unheard of.”
For Ava, the best part of the program—and her favorite aspect of golf in general—is “playing with [her] friends.” Chen said she is excited to meet another friend and golfer in Augusta on Sunday, hoping that will ease the tension of the tournament.
“I think when I get there, I'm just gonna tell myself, we're here for fun,” she said.
