Vanessa Borovilos might only be 11, but she’s already a veteran at Augusta National.
The Toronto pre-teen won the Drive, Chip and Putt skills competition for 10 and 11-year olds over the weekend by a single point, an incredible showing for a little girl who only weighs 77 pounds.
“She carries it a hundred yards longer than she weighs,” says Doug Lawrie, her coach who works out of Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. “She swings her driver faster as well—up to 80 miles per hour.”
Lawrie said he went to church over the weekend, taping the competition so he could watch it upon his return. Borovilos, who played in the skills contest at Augusta twice previously, wasn’t expected to be as competitive in the driving portion of the event. But when Lawrie saw she finished third, he liked her chances at winning the overall event.
“When she sets her mind to something, she’s incredibly focused,” says Lawrie, a nationally-recognized coach for youth who has worked with Vanessa since she was 7. “Vanessa’s great equalizer is that she can chip and putt better than practically anyone her age.”
Vanessa was presented her award by former Masters Champions Trevor Immelman and Gary Player. The 11-year-old was not expecting that 81-year-old Gary Player would scoop her up into his arms during the awards ceremony – icing on the cake to already top off a memorable day.
Congratulatory high fives are great but how about a victory lift from @garyplayer!?!🤗
📸: Vanessa Borovilos (Girls 10-11 Champion) pic.twitter.com/QRwDWLt6ka
— Drive, Chip & Putt (@DriveChipPutt) April 1, 2018
Lawrie said he’s thrilled for his young student.
“I’m really proud of how hard she’s worked to get to where she’s at,” he says. “She’s a great kid.”
Vanessa looks up to another Canadian phenom who knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a champion – Brooke Henderson, who she says is her favourite player.
Two other Canadians participated in the competition, 15-year old Luke DelGobbo, who practices at Golf Town’s store in St. Catharines, and Landon Kelly, 9, of Lindsay, Ont.
Luke finished 5th, while Kelly finished in 8th place in their divisions.