Kid sisters enjoy busy golf schedules

On the Memorial Day weekend, Paige and Brandy Jung played in a golf tournament at Walt Disney World in Florida. It's the last time for awhile the two sisters will compete head-to-head in tournaments.

At the Florida meet, both played in the 8-11 age bracket of a Plantation Junior Golf Tour event.

But, starting this month, 12-year-old Paige will be in the 12-14 age group for tournament play. Ten-year-old Brandy will stay in the younger bracket for a couple more years.

Paige is a 6th grader at Parkway West Middle School. Brandy is a 4th grader at Shenandoah Valley Elementary School.

Like a lot of St. Louis area kids, Paige and Brandy started golfing early. Paige was 4 and Brandy started at 3.

In the beginning, they both used the same two clubs, a sawed-off Sam Snead 4-wood and a Pinnacle putter.

The 4-wood was one their dad, Randy, had. He shortened and regripped it to fit the girls' small stature. The girls have moved up to full-sized clubs now.

But, the old clubs have been put to more use.Their brother, 5-year-old Nick, also got his start with the same 4-wood and putter.

Paige and Brandy are serious about their golf. Both play in PGA Junior and Plantation Tour meets. They play year-around and travel to out-of-state tournaments. And they're winning their share.

Last February, both played in a Future College Golf Association tournament in New Orleans. That's the tournament where Brandy shot her best-ever 18-hole round, an 81.

That was one of the times she finished ahead of her older sister in a meet. "The first time I beat my sister, I was proud," Brandy said.

Paige's best meet round also is an 81. She shot that in a Kansas City tournament in 2001.

In the New Orleans meet, Paige had one experience that not too many golfers have had.

"A bird picked up my ball and dropped it in the lake," she said. Tournament directors gave her a free drop with no penalty stroke when she used a new ball.

The girls take golf lessons from two instructors. On Wednesdays, they go for lessons to Whitmoor Country Club in St. Charles County. That's the family's home course.

On Sundays and Mondays, they get instruction at the PGA -sponsored driving range in Creve Coeur.

Paige said, "Then, two days a week, the whole family goes out and plays." The family golf outings include their dad, Randy, and younger brother, Nick. Their mother Colleen sometimes plays with them.

But, before the family rounds, the girls put in a practice hour on the club's driving range.

Paige believes the best part of her game involves her mid-irons. The worse: her putting. "I tend to jab at the ball too much," she said.

Brandy thinks her driving is best and mid-irons are worst. She says she's a good putter.

Their dad says they make a good team in two-person tournaments. One girl's strengths makes up for the other's weaknesses.

Both girls want to continue golf through their school years and maybe beyond.

Asked about college, Paige said she'd like to go to Florida. A major reason: you can play golf year-round. She said she'd like to be a golfing teacher when she finishes school.

Brandy also wants to go to a warm-weather college. She's thinking about New Mexico. Then, after school, she said she'd like to be a touring golf professional.

This summer, the girls not only will be playing in different brackets, their tournament play will be different.

In Junior PGA events, Paige will be playing in 2-day, 36-hole tournaments. Brandy's PGA tournaments will be only one-day with 18-holes of play.

In their Florida meet last month, the girls had a great time. First, they missed two days of school to get to the meet on time. Then, they had one practice day before the meet started.

Then, they played one day on Disney World's Magnolia course and the next on the Lake Buena Vista course.