3 young Philadelphia area golfers reach Drive, Chip & Putt national finals
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Some of the best young golfers in the country are getting ready to compete on a national stage, and the Philadelphia region will be well represented. Three local finalists have qualified for the Drive, Chip, and Putt competition in Augusta, Georgia next month.
The tournament is held at Augusta National Golf Club, the same course where The Masters Tournament is played every year, one of the four men's major golf championships.
"I really want to win this," Colby Komancheck, a freshman at Malvern Preparatory School, said. "I've been practicing all winter."
When CBS News Philadelphia spoke with Komancheck, not even the snow on his home course in Phoenixville could slow down his golf game. The 15-year-old is the son of two golf pros, and he's learned much more from his parents than just his smooth swing.
"They've really taught me to keep going because there's a lot of ups and downs," Komancheck said. "But there's always something bright in the future. They've shaped my golf journey. They've put me in every opportunity I could have. They've built my game. I've spent hours on my own, but they've guided me and given me the resources and all the knowledge I could ask for when it comes to golfing."
"You always try and show up to a tournament to win, so I'm just going there with winning in mind," Kayley Roberts said about her approach to this year's Drive, Chip and Putt tournament. "But whatever happens, happens. I'll be prepared to win and I'll be happy with whatever outcome happens."
As a freshman at Phoenixville Area High School last year, Roberts finished runner-up in the Pennsylvania state championship. Now, she has her sights set on winning this national tournament and inspiring other young girls on her way to the top.
"Hopefully being an inspiration to girls out there, especially because I'm Black too," Roberts said. "So just inspiring them and hopefully they can pick up the club and maybe do some great things themselves."
"I want to be a golfer and a model," Trisha Lobo said, listing her life goals. "And I want to open up a shelter to help homeless dogs."
This ambitious 9-year-old may be small, but make no mistake, she's a big hitter on the golf course.
"My family calls me the 'Driving Queen' because I drive so far," she said. "It normally carries about 125 [yards]."
All three finalists say their goal is to play golf professionally someday. But first, they have their sights set on winning the Drive, Chip, and Putt competition in Augusta, Georgia. You can watch live coverage of the tournament when it tees off on Sunday, April 7 on Golf Channel.
