It should come as no surprise to you that Scottsdale is a hotspot for golfing; pretty much everyone knows that. But it isn’t just relegated to senior citizens or tourists…it is also a hotspot of local talent. Many also know that Arizona State has long had strong golf teams, and those players very likely get plenty of time on our links, but Scottsdale high schools have also had good golf teams, and there are also local programs for youths who want to excel at the game.
In short…it’s a petri dish for budding golfers. And that atmosphere of growth is shooting roots in one major way.
13-year old Scottsdale resident Isabella Boettcher started playing the game at age 7, and in six short years she has already turned into a force; so much so that she was invited to the world-famous Augusta National golf course in the national Drive, Chip, and Putt invitational for teenagers.
Like many teenage prodigies of the game, she was introduced to it by her father, who has also been her coach. Born in Lansing, Michigan, the family moved out to Scottsdale when she was young and her father soon introduced her to the game. She lists former Sun Devil Phil Mickelson and Nelly Korda as her favorite players, and can boast an all-time best score of 68 in 18 holes, something that even the best of us could likely never say.
Her and her father headed over to Augusta to compete, and Isabella put up a strong showing, finishing fourth place in her age group. Probably not the outcome that she wanted, but an incredibly fantastic result for a national contest and absolutely nothing that she should hang her head about.
Undoubtedly, word will get out in local schools about Isabella’s achievement, showing a whole new generation of potential golfers that excellence is within their grasp. Hopefully it sparks a new local interest, helping build a new army of future Sun Devils who then go on to make runs in Sunday’s final rounds of future major championships. Congrats to Isabella!