Children come away from Junior Golf Day with tips, treats and an inspiring message
By Amy Rogers
LOS ANGELES - A rainbow of colorful Easter eggs blanketed the driving range at El Caballero Country Club on Saturday afternoon. It was a stark departure from the usual white orbs that typically cover the practice facility, and the vibrant objects quickly caught the attention of the children who attended the Junior Golf Show at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro.
The Easter egg hunt capped off a fun-filled afternoon of activities for the children who attended the JM Eagle LA Championship. Saturday at the tournament was designated as Junior Golf Day and the first 1,000 juniors who came through the gate received a free t-shirt to commemorate the occasion. All children age 17 and under received complimentary admission and were treated to mini-golf, giveaways, and a scavenger hunt. They also enjoyed the experience of getting to witness, up-close, the best in the women’s game.
Allisen Corpuz, the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open champion, and Benedetta Moresco, a second-year Tour member, hosted the Junior Golf Show on the driving range. The duo demonstrated shot shaping with their irons and thrilled the children, along with the parents, when they hit their drivers, which was met with a thunder of applause and even a few gasps from the parents who were also left in awe of the professional athletes.
“I remember being on the other side of it and being able to watch the pros hit and I think it's really fun,” Corpuz said about participating in the clinic. “JM Eagle has done just such a great job of making this one of the best events for us. If they want us to do one thing for them, I'm happy to do it.”
The pros also fielded questions from the children in attendance which included several thoughtful inquiries, including one from 11-year old Pallas Aliapoulios about the precision involved in playing El Caballero. Other questions made for precious and endearing moments that drew chuckles from the crowd.
“What’s your favorite… I don’t remember,” said one little boy who got stumped with the microphone in front of him.
For both Corpuz and Moresco, their main message to the aspiring golfers was to make golf fun.
“Play for ice cream,” Corpuz suggested.
“Cherish every little accomplishment, that’s important to realize that you’re progressing,” Moresco shared with the crowd. “And just make a lot of friends and have fun on the course.”
Walter Wang, the CEO of JM Eagle, was looking on with a smile as the children enjoyed the Junior Golf Show. The clinic is one of the initiatives that Walter, and his wife, Shirley, have prioritized through their sponsorship of the LPGA Tour stop in an effort to grow the Tour’s fan base while also exposing the next generation of players to the game of golf. Wang shared his own message with the children as the clinic came to a close.
“Make sure you have a dream in life,” Wang told the children looking on and shared with them the details of his own life’s journey. “Don't ever let anybody tell you forget it, you’re not smart enough, you're not good enough, you're not talented enough. Never believe all the negatives, or any of the negatives people tell you. You are all the future of the United States of America. You’re the future of this world.”
It was a heartfelt parting message for the children who clutched their paper bags, eager to fill them with as many of the Easter eggs as they could find lying across the driving range.
The hope is that the children who attended Junior Golf Day took home so much more than just the treats they found inside their eggs, that they came away from the tournament feeling inspired by the experience to not just play golf, but to have fun with their friends while doing it, and energized to go out and chase their dreams.
Sounds like it was a pretty special day.
