TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Davis Early, Jack Henry Wiggins, Owen Peek, John Henry Meisenheimer, Sophia Gavriel, Sawyer Hopkins, George Meisenheimer, Addison Cross, Jayden Tanner, Roman Phillips, and more junior golfers will be participating in the 2023 Farmers Bank & Trust Junior Pro-Am during the Texarkana Children’s Charities Open.
pro golfer who might one day play on TV is exciting!” Eight-year-old Buck Hawkins commented, “I want to see and learn from a pro. I want to improve and be a pro. I want to travel all over the world!” Achieving excellence in junior golf demands dedication, hard work, and an unwavering love for the game. Eleven-year-old Gabi Nevels, who plays at Texarkana Golf Ranch, shared her rigorous practice routine, saying, “I practice a lot. I play 18 holes three days a week and at least nine holes another day.” It can be challenging, but with the right mindset, training, and support, junior golfers can make strides and accomplish their goals. Excelling in junior golf, however, has its challenges. Golf is a multifaceted sport requiring technical proficiency in various aspects, including the full swing, short game, putting, course management, and mental fortitude. Junior golfers must dedicate ample time and effort to practice and refine these skills to thrive as competitive golfers. Lane Witten, a nine-year-old golfer, shared, “I practice four days a week, attend weekly lessons, and hit balls into a net at home.” To succeed, junior golfers must cultivate resilience, focus, and the ability to perform under pressure. Golf also requires a substantial time commitment, extending beyond the duration of the five-hour rounds. Aspiring golfers must strike a delicate balance
between school, training, and a tournament schedule that often involves travel. Twelve-year-old Sophia Gavriel offered insight into her schedule, stating, “I have lessons in Dallas twice a month, and I practice every afternoon I can in Texarkana.” Gavriel, who also competes in tennis and basketball at a high level, understands the challenges of managing multiple commitments. Golf is not a cost-effective sport. Expenses related to equipment, lessons, travel, and tournament registrations can quickly accumulate. As players progress and refine their skills, these costs increase with new equipment, advanced lessons, and participation in larger tournaments. To qualify for the Junior Pro-Am, golfers had to compete in the Farmers Bank & Trust Junior Golf Tour held this past spring. This series consisted of five tournaments hosted at various local golf courses in Texarkana. The tournament series was put on by Red River Junior Golf, which was started in early 2022 for the purpose of bringing competitive junior golf to Texarkana. The tournament series witnessed over 50 golfers from the Texarkana area competing and will continue throughout the summer and fall of 2023. The dates for summer tournaments will be Monday, July 24, 2023, at Northridge Country Club and Thursday,
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