Blythewood girl earns golfer’s dream – playing at Augusta + video

Parker Stalvey stands on the 18^th tee at Crickentree, draws her Ping driver back slowly, pauses for what seems like an eternity at the top before unleashing a downswing that creates a distinct “woosh” that screams of power.

The pink Bridgestone Lady Precept soars regally down the fairway, blowing over the bunker about 185 yards out and finally coming to rest in the next area code

That’s the weakest part of her game, a golf game that most see only in their dreams.

Parker Stalvey is 13.

An eighth-grader at Blythewood Middle School, she steps onto one of the biggest stages in sports Sunday. She will compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

“The anticipation is like Christmas; you’re excited and can’t wait,” said Ryan Stalvey, her dad who introduced her to golf and provides instruction.

“I’m nervous, but I’m also excited,” Parker said in looking toward competition that will feature 10 youngsters from around the country in each of eight age groups: boys and girls 7-9, boys and girls 10-11, boys and girls 12-13 and boys and girls 14-15. “This is going to be an amazing experience.”

But the Stalvey clan will head to Augusta with heavy hearts and Parker will compete amid a whirlwind of sadness. One of her great-grandmothers passed away last week, and one of her great-grandfathers is hospitalized in critical condition. In addition, another great-grandmother is hospitalized.

“This (Drive, Chip and Putt final) is a big part of her life and she’ll compete,” Ryan Stalvey said. “But no matter what, this will be a very emotional time for her and the family.”

The Drive, Chip and Putt program is a joint initiative of the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Golf Association and the PGA of America designed to focus on developing the fundamentals of the game and building golf’s popularity among youngsters. Juniors advanced to Sunday’s finals in local, sub-regional and regional competition this past summer.

Parker’s journey to Augusta National began with a set of junior clubs at age 4 and the first experiments did not suggest what would follow. “She had them out for about 10 minutes a couple of times and spent most of that killing grass and chasing butterflies,” Ryan Stalvey said laughing.

“On my sixth birthday, I told Dad I wanted to try golf,” Parker said.

After the birthday cake had been cut and the presents opened, they went outside, she swung and Ryan could not believe his eyes. “She had such a great swing from the start,” he said, “and she never looked back.”

Putting is her strength and on a recent Sunday afternoon, she rolled in 35 out of 40 from 6-to-10 feet on the Crickentree putting green. She does not fear chipping, often the difference in the Drive, Chip and Putt events. She uses a 52-degree wedge for all chips, adjusting the face for different distances.

Parker plays in U.S. Kids tournaments in Pinehurst, N.C., and in National Junior Golf Tour competition and has earned a table full of trophies. Also prominently displayed are the “milestone” golf balls, a vase loaded with pink Precepts and Bridgestone Lady Precepts that denote holes-in-one (she has made two), first eagle, tournament titles and personal best rounds.

She played in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt in 2013, winning her age group in Savannah before finishing fourth in the sub-regional in Atlanta. With the program expanded, she faced tougher competition last summer and marched to Sunday at Augusta through local qualifying in Westcott in Summerville, sub-regional at Fort Jackson GC and regional at River Bend Country Club in Falls Church, Va.

“I didn’t know I had won (the regional) until they announced the score,” she said.

Her victory set off an emotional family celebration, including tears of joy from mom Nicole. “Regular waterworks,” Ryan Stalvey remembered.

To prepare, Parker practices diligently. She watched the 2014 finals on television and said, “Seeing them made me work harder this year.”

A common scene at Crickentree is Parker focusing on her chipping and putting, then moving to the driving range. Ryan, who joked that “I have changed from being a player to being a caddie,” carries her pink golf bag with Titleist emblazoned on the side.

“I really like golf,” she said. “It’s a very challenging game, and you really have to focus both mentally and physically. Besides that, you’re outdoors, and I love the outdoors.”

The youngsters do not have the opportunity to practice at Augusta National before Sunday, and the club’s greens will be especially challenging. The caliber of competition will be the stiffest yet, and the family crisis will never be far out of her mind. But, her dad said, she’s a competitor. He illustrates that trait with the memory – “my favorite” – of Parker’s taking a 10 on the first hole and coming back to win the tournament by 10 strokes.

“You have to be cool and be prepared,” Parker said. “I just want to do my best and I know I will have an experience I will always remember.”

Those pink golf balls flying over the bunker and into the next area code suggest she will do just fine.

This story was originally published April 2, 2015 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Blythewood girl earns golfer’s dream – playing at Augusta + video."