By Ellie DeBrunner
Hamilton Township, Ohio – For a group of wide-eyed kids, meeting LPGA players wasn’t just a brush with fame; it was a moment that turned dreams into something tangible.
As the players wrapped up Round 2 of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, they were met not only with cheers from onlookers but also with delighted squeals from the kids in attendance. The excitement was written all over their faces at the Secret Autograph Alley as players came over to sign whatever the little ones had in their hands. Some could hardly believe the players were standing right in front of them. Moments like these mean more to kids than many might realize.
While some of the kids were too young to take up a golf club, their parents all agreed that this was a great experience in introducing their littles to the LPGA Tour. Caitlin Comer, a mom of three girls, said, “Hearing their dad golf and then seeing women can golf too is really helpful for them to understand and be like ‘oh I can do that too’”.
For a local junior high golf team, it may have made their year. Dylan, a member of the Sycamore Aves junior high girls golf team, said that her team came to the Kroger Queen City Championship after school and that they have been doing it every year since she has been on the team. She said meeting the players was “inspiring to see them play and to think that they [her and her team] could grow up and be them someday.”
Reya, who admitted to it being her first time here and her first year on the team, was rather shocked that they even got to meet the players. Once she learned that they were all able to, she described the experience as “out of this world and so exciting!” She also noted how she and her teammates usually see these golfers on TV, so seeing them in person is a true highlight of being at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G.
Another member of the Sycamore Aves revealed, “The most exciting part of being here is just the honor of meeting the players and seeing them in action.”
I asked all the girls what a highlight for them had been other than meeting their heroes, and they all said that it was getting to walk around the course and see all the possibilities that are out there for them, so long as they continue their hard work and stick with it.
Cora, another member of the golf team, was very grateful for the whole experience, said, “Honestly, it is the best feeling ever, everybody should meet their heroes because honestly having that little thing of them is just the best feeling in the world. Everybody needs to experience that.”
Meeting the players wasn’t the only highlight for young fans. Caitlin Comer and some other parents I had the privilege of talking to said the Fan Zone – including the Beauty on the Green hair booths where the young girls can get their hair done – was an amazing experience for their little girls. The parents also said the putting area, where all their kids could play, was another great feature to get them involved and more exposed to the sport.
Many families came out not just to enjoy golf, but to spend quality time together, and the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G did not disappoint.
