Sophie Cusack taught herself to play golf watching YouTube three years ago. This weekend she competed in the Bing Lee Fujitsu General Women’s NSW Open, the fourth major women’s golf event in Australia. A member of Bonnie Doon and Tenterfield Golf Clubs, Sophie picked up her first club three years ago, started playing seriously once a week eighteen months ago, in February last year she was admitted to the Australian College of Elite Golf, this weekend she made the Reserve List for the Women’s NSW Open, then was called to play after Jessica Noh pulled out due to family circumstances. Sophie lived on a large property in Tenterfield and watched her dad practice golf then had a go herself she was hooked. When she was frustrated with a swing, she googled the website and found tips on YouTube. She literally taught herself to play. Sophie began to live and breathe golf. She would come home after work and all she thought about was golf, watched golf clips on YouTube then practiced her swings when she could. Sophie joined her local Tenterfield Golf Club and with members and her dad s support, soon after won a scholarship to Bonnie Doon and was admitted to the Australian College of Elite Golf. She moved to Paddington to pursue her golfing career only in February last year. It was at the College when she had her first golf lesson. That s where she faced her first major challenge changing her golf swing. I did a lot of swing changes with my new coach. It was hard to go through, to go out early every morning and know I ll play bad but I got used to it, she said. Her Coach Nathan Page told her, Don t ever google anything again ..ask me! There are thirty-two boys in the College Sophie is the only girl. Her girlfriends tell her It must be great to be the only girl amongst all those boys! Sophie giggled saying, It actually smells! But on a serious note, she says playing with the boys who are on +2-3 handicap is incredible. You learn so much just watching them. As she played along side her partners, professionals Michelle Bristow from Qld and fellow NSW s Katherine MacDouall in the Women’s Open, she felt: As badly as I played, it was an incredible feeling to play in a professional event. It is the best motivation. I m living the dream. She feels her strength is the passion she has for golf, as opposed to the girls who play well, but reluctantly. To love the game is such an advantage. Even when it&aposs freezing cold in the morning, I still want to go out and play golf. Sophie s goal is to get better results in amateur events, make it into the Top 25 National Amateur Rankings, and to be selected in the State Team over the next year. Her first goal is within arm&aposs length. Sophie will be competing in the NSW Amateur Championship on Wednesday 29 January to Tuesday 4 February (no play on Saturday 1 February).
Author: GolF NSW