14 year old wins LET event

[Lord Tyrion]

Go on the tour with adults, away from home, chaperoned wherever she goes, cameras in her face. No, have a life with people your own age and then go on the tour. She is a child still. A child that plays golf exceptionally well but still a child. She needs to be protected.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

It's an amazing achievement, obviously.

But put me in with the 'worried for her general wellbeing' camp. While I admire the certainty that some people who post here are blessed with, I can't share it. 14 is extraordinarily young. To dedicate so much time to just one thing... my gut feeling is that it's not such a good thing. Of course, one could get philososophical about what constitutes a 'good' childhood, or life, but I don't see too much of that in the postings above.

Good post, :thup:

 

[pendodave]

It's an amazing achievement, obviously.

But put me in with the 'worried for her general wellbeing' camp. While I admire the certainty that some people who post here are blessed with, I can't share it. 14 is extraordinarily young. To dedicate so much time to just one thing... my gut feeling is that it's not such a good thing. Of course, one could get philososophical about what constitutes a 'good' childhood, or life, but I don't see too much of that in the postings above.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Blimey Paul. You managed to quote pendo before he had posted. That is some sort of psychic connection you have going on

 

[pendodave]

Blimey Paul. You managed to quote pendo before he had posted. That is some sort of psychic connection you have going on

I thought it was only my wife who could read my mind...

 

[Capella]

Actually, having a 14 year old playing in a professional ladies tour event is not that uncommon. Lydia Ko played and won an ALPG event when she was fourteen (and that wasn't even the first time she played it, she came second the year before that, so she was 13). Lexi Thomspon played in the US Open when she was just 14 years old. Michelle Wie qualified for her first LPGA event when she was ten years old (and made her first cut a year later). Arya Jutanagarn played her first LPGA event aged 11. The list goes on. They all don't come across as unhappy and bereaved of their childhood to me.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Actually, having a 14 year old playing in a professional ladies tour event is not that uncommon. Lydia Ko played and won an ALPG event when she was fourteen (and that wasn't even the first time she played it, she came second the year before that, so she was 13). Lexi Thomspon played in the US Open when she was just 14 years old. Michelle Wie qualified for her first LPGA event when she was ten years old (and made her first cut a year later). Arya Jutanagarn played her first LPGA event aged 11. The list goes on. They all don't come across as unhappy and bereaved of their childhood to me.

Spot on - and great to see some perfect examples of it working well with juniors playing. as I said earlier each person should be judged on its own merits. The ladies golf tour is not exactly the breeding ground for juniors to go off the rails

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Blimey Paul. You managed to quote pendo before he had posted. That is some sort of psychic connection you have going on

It's one of the superpowers you get when you get to become a mod on here

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Actually, having a 14 year old playing in a professional ladies tour event is not that uncommon. Lydia Ko played and won an ALPG event when she was fourteen (and that wasn't even the first time she played it, she came second the year before that, so she was 13). Lexi Thomspon played in the US Open when she was just 14 years old. Michelle Wie qualified for her first LPGA event when she was ten years old (and made her first cut a year later). Arya Jutanagarn played her first LPGA event aged 11. The list goes on. They all don't come across as unhappy and bereaved of their childhood to me.

I think there are cross wires here, all the ones you mention didn't turn professional until they were 16 or just short of 16, if this a 14yr old girl playing in odd events till she turns professional, all well and good, but at 14 she, imo, shouldn't be allowed to go full time.

Totally agree with the "if they are good enough, they're old enough" but she should at least finish her school education.

 

[Fish]

I think she's too young, she is missing out on her childhood, she should be sitting in her bedroom like all other 14yr olds experiencing very little human interaction messaging her bestie on Facebook who lives next door and sending each other selfies doing 'the duck' pose.

How dare she be outside in the fresh air enjoying herself :smirk:

 

[Capella]

I think there are cross wires here, all the ones you mention didn't turn professional until they were 16 or just short of 16, if this a 14yr old girl playing in odd events till she turns professional, all well and good, but at 14 she, imo, shouldn't be allowed to go full time.

Totally agree with the "if they are good enough, they're old enough" but she should at least finish her school education.

Is she going full time? I was under the impression she was still an amateur that just got a space in this tournament (she is listed as one and didn't get any price money for her win. I don't think she is going to be a regular on tour yet.

But let's not be fooled. None of the players I mentioned above had what we would consider a "normal" childhood. Even if they had amateur status at the time still, some of them were home schooled and all of them spend more time on the golf course than partying or hanging out with friends, for sure. I just don't know if that is really a bad thing as long as they enjoy what they are doing.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Is she going full time? I was under the impression she was still an amateur that just got a space in this tournament (she is listed as one and didn't get any price money for her win. I don't think she is going to be a regular on tour yet.

But let's not be fooled. None of the players I mentioned above had what we would consider a "normal" childhood. Even if they had amateur status at the time still, some of them were home schooled and all of them spend more time on the golf course than partying or hanging out with friends, for sure. I just don't know if that is really a bad thing as long as they enjoy what they are doing.

Not cross wires from yourself, I was getting the impression the thread was going all or nothing.

We had the chinese lad a few years ago play in the Masters and he seems to of disappeared, sometimes it's the media that makes more of this than is factual.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Is she going full time? I was under the impression she was still an amateur that just got a space in this tournament (she is listed as one and didn't get any price money for her win. I don't think she is going to be a regular on tour yet.

But let's not be fooled. None of the players I mentioned above had what we would consider a "normal" childhood. Even if they had amateur status at the time still, some of them were home schooled and all of them spend more time on the golf course than partying or hanging out with friends, for sure. I just don't know if that is really a bad thing as long as they enjoy what they are doing.

She is still an amateur and will still continue studies etc but will also play events and on LET and LPGA when the schedule is best for her.

The initial statement that I disagreed with totally from Lord T was that no one should be able to play in pro events until they were 18