(WSVN) - At just 11 years old, a South Florida golfer is already headed to the Masters Tournament for a special competition, proving age and experience mean nothing when talent shines. 7’s Heather Walker shows us in our 7Spotlight.
Under the Florida sun, 11-year-old Arabell Tellez is hitting goals most golfers spend a lifetime pursuing.
Arabell Tellez: “My dad got me into it, and I just fell in love with it, so I just started practicing, practicing every single day. I just fell in love with it.”
She picked up a club for the first time when she saw her dad playing a few years ago.
Javier Tellez: “One day, I told her, ‘Hey, do you want to take a couple swings?’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, sure, Dad.'”
Her dad has been playing since he was a kid and immediately saw her potential.
Javier Tellez: “I had told her, ‘Do you want to play golf?’ She was like, ‘Yeah, I do.’ I’m like, ‘OK, under one condition: that we go all in. We are not going to do this for fun,’ and she’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I want to go all in.'”
And they have. In less than three years, Arabell has landed a Nike sponsorship, won multiple trophies and medals.
Arabell Tellez: “There’s a lot more, actually, at my house. They just didn’t bring all of them.”
Met golf legends.
Arabell Tellez: “I’ve met Rory McIlroy, I’ve met Tiger Woods.”
And now she is heading to the biggest stage in golf: Augusta. After outplaying the best in the state, she will compete this April in the “Drive, Chip & Putt” National Finals at the iconic Masters Tournament.
Javier Tellez: “I’m beyond proud.”
But she wasn’t always this good.
Javier Tellez: “She went to her first tournament, she finished last. She wasn’t the best.”
Her dad said that first loss only fueled her fire. She went back to work, doubling down on practice and sharpening her skills.
Arabell Tellez: “I did not do so good. And I told myself, ‘Next year, I’m going to do way better,’ and I actually did way better, and I won first.”
Teaching her that practice makes perfect.
Arabell Tellez: “I practice every day; I never skip a day. I’ve never skipped a day, actually, never.”
And it shows in her game. She plays a plus-four handicap. For all you non-golfers, that means she’s really good.
But she said none of it would be possible without her dad.
Arabell Tellez: “This is all because of my dad, like, he’s my number one. He’s always been there for me by my side.”
She hopes that continues all the way to a professional golf career.
Heather Walker, 7News.
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