On the surface, Addie Lupton is your typical 12 year old pre teen living in Tega Cay. She enjoys wakeboarding, playing pickleball and hanging out with friends and family. Generally speaking, Addie likes to do anything that challenges her to get better.
She has successfully channeled this competitive drive into her golf game, most recently by earning a spot in the prestigious Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals at Augusta National next month.
According to Addie, she “practices golf pretty much every day.” Attending a virtual school helps her balance schoolwork with her love of golf, giving her the flexibility to practice, travel to tournaments and keep up with her class schedule.
Asked what she likes most about golf, Addie said, “I like that it’s just you out there, and you have to figure things out and stay focused. It feels really good when all the hard work starts to pay off.” Considering this is the second time she’s qualified for the distinguished contest at the Masters, it’s easy to see her hard work is definitely paying off.
Qualifying is no easy feat. Several stages of local, sub-regional and regional competitions take place, each getting harder as you move along. Addie recalled making a 30 foot putt at Pinehurst to qualify, a putt so impressive it was featured in coverage on the Golf Channel.
Sinking a long putt to qualify was fun but Addie is most excited to get back to Augusta National so she can “compete with some of the best junior golfers in the country.” She went on to say, “it’s such an amazing place and going back a second time is something I’ve dreamed about so I’m really excited to experience it again.”
Playing golf at the Masters is a dream come true but Addie isn’t planning on shelving her golf career anytime soon. She wants to play golf in high school, college and hopefully professionally someday. In order to achieve this goal, she’ll continue playing in national junior tournaments and USGA qualifiers. She also hopes to play in the LPGA/Girls Golf National Finals as well as a tournament named after Notah Begah, which will be featured on the Golf Channel.
Although golf is an individual sport, Addie mentioned the role her parents have played in her success. Their support has helped her to stay positive, providing reminders to focus on her effort and attitude as well as the results. This positivity shines through when Addie was asked to give advice to her peers about competing , “I would say to have fun and not put too much pressure on yourself. Just focus on doing your best and learning from every round.”
Success in golf can be viewed through the lens of winning the tournament outright. Addie views it differently, “success means doing my best, staying confident, and enjoying the experience. I want to stay positive and play the way I know I can. If I can do that, I’ll feel really proud no matter what happens.”
I have a feeling many of us watching will feel the exact same way.
