11-year-old golf reporter shines at U.S. Ladies’s Open
Golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/jamie.jpg” /> PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Whats up, associates, and joyful U.S. Ladies’s Open week! I’m again at Riviera, my favourite course on the planet,...
Golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/jamie.jpg” />
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Whats up, associates, and joyful U.S. Ladies’s Open week! I’m again at Riviera, my favourite course on the planet, and having a lot enjoyable watching the world’s finest gamers tee it up. I’ve a brand new favourite U.S. Open custom that began final 12 months at Oakmont, after I spent the day with Silas, a Sentry First Tee junior reporter. This week, I used to be thrilled after I discovered that I’d get to hang around with Jamie, an 11-year-old from California and the Sentry First Tee Junior Reporter on website.
Jamie and I met up within the media heart very first thing on Tuesday morning. She had a pocket book full of questions for gamers and was keen to go out to the course. Our first cease was on the well-known tenth gap, the place we met up with Bianca Pagdanganan as she made the flip throughout her follow spherical. Jamie acquired to stroll a gap together with her and ask all types of questions on golf and life. She was a pure! As somebody who does this for a residing and nonetheless will get nervous, I used to be so impressed with Jamie’s poise with the professionals.
Subsequent we headed over to the vary. I instructed Jamie that the vary is considered one of my favourite locations to hang around throughout event weeks, since you get to see a bunch of gamers directly. Additionally, you’ll be able to meet up with caddies, coaches, brokers and whoever else a participant might need with them. Jamie acquired to interview just a few extra gamers, together with Megan Khang. Then we took a break for lunch earlier than our greatest occasion of the day.
In the beginning of our day collectively, Jamie instructed me that Lydia Ko is her favourite participant. Fortunately for us, Ko’s press convention was occurring that afternoon. We instructed Jamie that we’d be attending a press convention, however we didn’t say for who. Jamie and I arrived a couple of minutes early, acquired a entrance row seat and seemed over her questions to search out the right one to ask.
Press conferences can really feel intimidating, since you’re asking your query right into a microphone in entrance of a room of individuals. That didn’t section Jamie. She lit up when Ko walked into the room. When it was Jamie’s flip to ask a query, she launched herself and requested Ko how she retains herself from giving up when she hasn’t been taking part in her finest. Ko’s reply was nice:
“I really imagine that golf isn’t over till the glove comes off and the putt lastly drops on the ultimate gap. Golf is a kind of loopy video games. You’ve seen the place gamers miss 5, six cuts in a row, after which they win the subsequent week. You’re feeling like the chances aren’t in your favor, however golf can do it to you. I really feel like generally I hit it first rate, I putt it okay, however then I’ve a thirtieth end. Then some weeks the place I really feel prefer it’s slightly scruffy after which I end within the prime 10. So there’s no like proper or mistaken reply, and I believe due to that, I believe that helps me be extra motivated and sort of, I believe, not surrender and simply proceed striving. It’s going to be exhausting. It is sort of a loopy curler coaster at instances, however when there’s a down, there’s at all times room so that you can stand up. I believe that’s sort of the mindset that I try to take.”
After the presser, Ko took a couple of minutes to talk with Jamie. She signed Jamie’s hat, took images and thanked her for asking such an excellent query. It was the right strategy to wrap up the day.
I really like days like this a lot as a result of I keep in mind being Jamie’s age and eager to work in golf. I keep in mind going to the 2006 U.S. Ladies’s Open at Newport (R.I.) Nation Membership and following Michelle Wie. It’s now 20 years later and I acquired to movie some content material with Wie this week!
“That was a very enjoyable section of Nike golf.”
Michelle Wie and her daughter react to outdated U.S. Ladies’s Open images: pic.twitter.com/dlBFso9Ev0
— claire rogers (@kclairerogers) June 4, 2026
I acquired to look at Jamie expertise an ideal golf day because of Sentry and the First Tee, and it was so enjoyable to see her confidence develop because the day went on. Alternatives like this give children who love golf the flexibility to expertise our job for a day, and it was an honor to play a small half in Jamie’s day.
