Photo Credit: Indianapolis Star
Many
young golfers aspire to follow in the footsteps of the greats. To get a college scholarship, to play in a
PGA event, and to one day break Tiger’s records. On Sunday, April 6, this dream seemed
tangible for 88 young golfers, including Noblesville’s Nels Surtani.
Nels was
one of the finalists at the Inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship held at
Augusta National Golf Club, a course so exclusive most golfers only dream of
playing.
For
Nels, this event was even more special because of what he had to overcome to
get there.
Nels was
born with clubbed feet. The day he was
born he was put in a cast and he had to wear braces at night for the next three
years. Oftentimes, there is a size
difference between the foot and calf when a child is born with clubbed feet,
and for Nels this affected his left side.
“When
Nels was very young he was better than most kids at sports because his hand eye
coordination was so good,” said Nimu Surtani, Nels’ father. “But when he got to be about 9, he wasn’t
able to run as fast or jump as high as some of the other kids.”
Luckily
for Nels, golfers do not have to run fast or jump high, but they need great
hand eye coordination, which Nels developed as soon as he could walk.
“We were
in Dallas visiting family the day that Nels first started walking at fifteen
months,” Surtani said. “We have photos
from that same day where Nels is on the putting green. He could always make contact with the ball
and when he was two, they let him do junior golf at our local course.”
At three
years old, Surtani tried to get Nels signed up for lessons, but no instructor
would take him because he was so young.
A man who lived in Fishers told Surtani that he oftentimes tells junior
golfers to hit cheerios because they are so small and teach kids to focus. One day at the course, Surtani started
putting cheerios in front of three-year-old Nels and he never missed.
When Nels
was a fourth grader, he joined the Park Tudor Middle School golf team and at
age eleven he had his first hole-in-one.
A few months later, he added another ace to his list of accomplishments.
Nels,
now twelve years-old, has participated in six U.S. Kids Golf World
Championships.
“I love
golf because it is really competitive,” Nels said. “You play against yourself and you don’t need
a whole team to play.”
One
afternoon, Surtani saw an advertisement for the Drive, Chip and Putt
Championship, and what started out as somewhat of a joke, became a
reality. Surtani took Nels to a local
qualifier at Randall Oaks Golf Club in West Dundee, Ill. in July and he
advanced to the Midwest Regional. There,
Nels won his age group, with an overall score of 140 and found himself as one
of 88 finalists to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta
in 2014.
Modeled after the NFL’s Punt, Pass,
and Kick program, the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, is a national skills
competition for boys and girls ages 7 to 15.
Drive, Chip and Putt was created by the Masters Tournament Foundation,
the USGA, and the PGA of America to promote interest and participation in the
game of golf.
“The
Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is absolutely the coolest event a kid can
participate in,” Surtani said. “Nels and
all of the other participants got to spend a day at Augusta and see the pros up
close. They were treated like
celebrities for the day and the format of the event was not high stress, but
short and enjoyable.”
Nels got
to meet this year’s Masters Champion Bubba Watson and runner-up Jordan Speith,
as well as many other well-known and accomplished PGA Tour players.
“It was
an honor to be a part of the first Drive, Chip and Putt Championship,” Nels
said. “Being able to walk around Augusta
and putt on the same greens as the pros was a really cool experience. I am definitely going to try to qualify again
next year.”
Nels
finished eighth in his age group and said his putting was his strength during
the Championship.
This year,
Indiana will be joining the Drive, Chip and Putt initiative and hosting local
and regional qualifiers throughout the state.
“The
Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is a chance for kids to highlight their
talent in a low stress atmosphere,” Surtani said. “I would definitely recommend this
program. Nels had an incredible
experience.”