Thiravong sisters qualify for subregional Drive, Chip & Putt competition

Rochelle golfers earn top-3 placings at local tournament

Russell Hodges
Posted 7/27/17

Rochelle golfers Ailani and Megan Thiravong often find unique ways to motivate each other.

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Thiravong sisters qualify for subregional Drive, Chip & Putt competition

Rochelle golfers earn top-3 placings at local tournament

Posted

MUNDELEIN — Rochelle golfers Ailani and Megan Thiravong often find unique ways to motivate each other.

Whether it’s by practicing their short games side-by-side or betting household chores like unloading dishes or sorting laundry, the Thiravong sisters manage to challenge each other without holding themselves to any sort of sibling rivalry. It’s a big reason why both girls were able to qualify out of the local Drive, Chip & Putt competition at Pine Meadow Golf Club earlier this month.

8-year-old Ailani finished first in her division, scoring 49 points including 40 points from her putter to reach the subregional level for the second straight year. 14-year-old Megan placed third in her group with 68 points to advance to the subregional round, which will be played on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Randall Oaks Golf Club in West Dundee.

“I was very excited to qualify and be able to compete against very experienced players at the local competition,” Megan said. “It’s very satisfying to know how hard I’ve worked to achieve this goal.”

“I feel like my strongest golf skill is my short game,” Ailani added. “My skills helped me get more points than the driving part of the competition.”

The girls may be several years apart, but both Ailani and Megan began golfing at the age of 2. Following in the footsteps of their parents, both sisters have grown tremendously since their younger days, and they’ve each developed a special appreciation for the game.

“My favorite thing about golf is that I get to meet new friends and explore different golf courses to play at,” Ailani said.

“When I was younger, I just liked hitting the balls around the house and in our backyard,” Megan followed.  “Also, I enjoyed driving the family golf cart.  My favorite things about golfing in the past were the trips we took to various courses. Today, since I am more competitive I enjoy being able to reach my goals and see my improvements each year.”

Three golfers from each local division across the country qualify for the subregional stage, with two players from each subregional group clinching a spot at the regional level. The winner of each regional will earn a chance to compete at Augusta National Golf Club, the site of The Masters Tournament, in 2018.

While Ailani will continue to rely on her impressive short game at the subregional competition next month, Megan said both her long and short games will come into play when the girls tee off in West Dundee. Both girls will compete for a spot in the regional at The Honors Course Club in Ooltewah, Tennessee on Sunday, Sept. 24.

“To me, having the ability to combine both the short and long game together allows me to have that competitive advantage at various tournaments,” Megan said. “Because I am the elder sister, I lead by example and give advice to [Ailani] before each competition. I usually tell her to stay positive, stay focused and enjoy her game.”

“We motivate each other by practicing together every day and we do chipping and putting competitions,” Ailani continued. “Those competitions help us to hit our targets and get better at our short game. I wish I could drive my ball really far like my sister Megan. I would like to hit far like she does with her woods and irons. We help each other become better players by going out to play different golf courses every day and get the feel from different courses. We also set goals and try to achieve the goals. After we are done with our round of 18 holes, we practice very hard on hitting our target at chipping and putting.”