From Local Greens to Augusta Dreams: Kimsey’s Incredible Journey!
It’s every young golfer’s dream to play at Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Masters — and for Kimsey, that dream just came true! After months of dedication, practice, and perseverance, Kimsey earned her ticket to the Drive, Chip & Putt National Championship. Competing in the Regional Finals in Frisco, TX, she faced tough conditions and even tougher competition — but her focus, determination, and skill shone through.
Now, with Augusta on the horizon, we caught up with Kimsey to talk about her journey, her mindset, and what this moment means to her.
TJG Interview with Kimsey — Off to Augusta!
TJG: Kimsey, congratulations! You did it! How does it feel knowing you’re officially headed to Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Masters, for the Drive, Chip & Putt National Championship?
Kimsey: It’s a great feeling knowing I finally met my goal after four years of trying to make it to the Augusta nationals for DCP. There is a feeling of pride, happiness, and almost relief now that the event has passed. I showcased to everyone that I was able to get the job done. All the time, practice, and resources that people invested in me paid off, and I had a wonderful experience along the way.
TJG: Going into the Regional Finals in Frisco, TX, what were your expectations? Were you nervous, confident, or somewhere in between?
Kimsey: The expectation for myself going to Frisco, Texas, DCP regional was honestly to go in looking and feeling confident to showcase my skills and technique on the three categories of Driving, Chipping and Putting. Even if I didn’t win, I knew I wanted to put up a high respectable score so I would be proud of myself regardless of the outcome.
TJG: Walk us through the competition — those nine shots that determined everything. What was going through your mind at each stage?
Kimsey: I was nervous until after my first drive, and then I found a zone where I blocked everything out and enjoyed the moment. On my drives, I didn’t try to crush the ball because I wanted all three shots to stay inbounds. By using clean smooth technique all three shots were straight as an arrow, but not my normal distance off the tee box. For chipping, I followed my steps and walked down the green to focus on my landing zone. My first chip landed and rolled two and half feet from the pin. I made a slight soft adjustment, and the second and third chip rolled 2-3 inches from the pin and that felt GREAT! Finally, in putting the six-footer the ball rolled a couple inches past the hole, and that lit a fire in my brain to “Keep it together”. The fifteen-foot putt dropped, and the final thirty-foot putt was just under two feet.
TJG: Your final putt — a 30-footer — needed to finish within just 1 foot from the hole for you to win. That’s incredible! How confident were you standing over that shot, and what makes your short game such a strength?
Kimsey: Lag putting is one of my favorite skills to work on when I practice. Often my mom and I will have friendly competitions around greens. She’s not a golfer, but she can putt. It’s a fun way for us to do something golf related together when she takes me to practice. I think my short game is my strength, because I’m not the longest hitter off the tee, especially as I’ve gotten older and the yardage increases are pushing me to improve. I’m really hoping for a growth spurt over this next year, and I will continue to improve distance on my driver. If I don’t get taller, then that’s the way God made me, and I’ll figure out whatever adjustments I need to make.
On the last putt from thirty-feet away, I was hoping one of the other competitors would go before me to sneak a free read, but no such luck. I was first up, and so I walked it down to assess the shot. Next, I came back to the starting point for my pre-shot routine, then took a deep calm breath and executed. The ball ended up 15 inches from the hole and that was good enough for me.
TJG: Finally, looking back at the journey from local qualifier to Augusta, what has this experience meant to you? Any special moments or lessons that stand out?
Kimsey: It was a fun adventure visiting Texas and all the different cities that we saw over the different qualifiers. However, Frisco was the favorite and is the most like where we live in Arizona. We turned all three rounds into a girl’s trip, and all the one-on-one time with my mom was awesome. The biggest take away I’ve been working on this past year is utilization of practice time, working hard, keeping emotions in check, and giving each event your best. How the results finish is sometimes out of your control. Regardless of what place you get, life continues on and the world will continue to rotate. Thankfully, this year is my time for DCP at Augusta, and I plan to enjoy every minute.
Everyone at Today’s Junior Golfer (TJG) couldn’t be prouder of Kimsey and her amazing accomplishment. Her hard work, humble spirit, and love for the game truly embody what TJG is all about — giving young golfers the opportunity to chase their dreams, one shot at a time.
We’ll be cheering you on, Kimsey — all the way to Augusta! 🏌️♀️💚⛳
