Local golfer swinging for the future
The Riverside Golf Course in Pocatello is filled with people Monday, as would be expected on a beautiful day, and a holiday to boot. Carts run up and down the paths as people tee off with family and friends.
On the putting green is Sophia Lippiello. Lining up putt after putt, she’s preparing for the next event in the PGA’s Drive, Chip & Putt competition. She finished with the most points, 103, in the 14-15-year-old category at the event’s subregional qualifier, last weekend in Park City.
The next stop for the Century High freshman is the regional qualifier at Chambers Bay in Washington. Another long trip from Pocatello is just something that Sophia views as another experience she gets from this sport.
Golf has been a part of her life for quite some time. Sophia started playing when she was five and has been hooked ever since. Spending most of the time on the course with her dad Stephan, Sophia said the sport has harvested an incredibly strong relationship between the two.
“I just loved hanging out with him and playing golf, the connection and the bond we had was really strong and I didn’t want it to ever break.”
And it hasn’t. Stephan and Sophia spent nearly the entire time on green together today. And as a lifelong golfer himself, Stephan is constantly impressed with his daughter’s abilities.
“I saw what I did and I’m watching her just beat it. Just annihilate things that I did,” Stephan said.
But golf has been more than a sport to Sophia. It’s something she said has really improved her life as a whole.
“As I kept going it just made me feel so special…It gave me more confidence in myself…It’s really improved my life. I get to meet new people and I’m having a good social life and having a good life.”
With Sunday’s event drawing near, the family knows that another top finish would put Sophia in the finals. An event which would be held at arguably the world’s most famous golf course, Augusta National.
“It means a lot to me,” Sophia said. “I worked hard for this so I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”
Sophia’s future is now in her hands. Her family believes her skills will allow her to play at the collegiate level, but she has yet to try out for her high school team. And pro or not, they all believe she’ll be golfing for life.
