Meet the Martin sisters, Natalie (age 10) and Isabella (age 8). Hailing from northern Minnesota, both girls have attended two “Share My Passion” Girls Golf Clinics at the 3M Open in the Twin Cities where they have fallen even deeper in love with the game.
Both sisters shared some of their favorite memories. Natalie said, “My memories from the Annika/3M Clinic include chipping-in during the chipping lessons for a bag of tees, running the relay race with Annika, and watching Annika hit golf balls right to the guy with the baseball glove.” Isabella added, “My favorite memories from the clinic are having Annika and I both make a putt with my putter during the relay challenge game, getting a hug from Annika, and listening to her talk about when she was a young girl learning to play golf before she became the best women’s golfer ever.”
Both girls had an impressive season following last year’s clinic. Natalie took first place and Isabella took third place at the Minnesota PGA Junior Championship. For the first time, Natalie also played in a U.S. Kids Golf tournament, taking first place for her age division and the overall championship. Both girls also competed in the Drive, Chip & Putt qualifier in Colorado where Natalie took first place in regionals and Isabella finished as the first alternate for her age group.
Ahead of her Drive, Chip & Putt debut, Natalie shared that she was “both excited and nervous about competing at Augusta. It is going to be super fun to see some professional golfers hit balls at the best course in the world, and compete against some of the best girl golfers my age. "I’m a little nervous about playing on TV, especially since I haven’t been able to golf in a long time because of all the snow we have here at home in Minnesota!” Isabella, who will attend as Natalie’s biggest cheerleader, has stayed positive throughout her journey. “In my first year competing in the Drive Chip & Putt I came so close to making it to Augusta. Although I would love to play this year if the girl that beat me dropped out, I am just excited to support my sister and cheer on all the competitors.”
We can’t wait to cheer on Natalie from home and know Isabella will be right there on the sidelines with her sister supporting her every step of the way!