HOUSTON – When he’s not in elementary school, you can find Reed Rodriguez on the golf course.
“My favorite part of golfing is it’s competitive because it’s a lot of competition,” said Reed. “It’s not an easy sport and you really have to practice a lot to get great.”
The 9-year-old has quickly made a name for himself, earning runner-up at the U.S. Kids Championship in Pinehurst, which means he ranked number two overall in the entire country for his age group.
“It was extremely cool,” says Francisco. “It was very emotional.”
Success has come quickly for Reed, who learned the game from his dad.
“My dad made me start golfing because he was a golf fanatic and he loved to golf,” says Reed.
“It started as a hobby,” explains Francisco, Reed’s dad. “But there was one time where we said, ‘Hey, instead of just coming out and spending some Saturday or Sunday time with dad, why don’t we sign him up for tournaments?’”
That’s when Reed started piling up the wins.
“He proved to be a good little athlete early on. He just picked up and ran with it,” says Francisco.
Reed said now he has big golfing dreams.
“One day, my goal is to be a professional on the PGA Tour and win the Masters,” Reed said.
Next up for Reed, the regional round of Drive, Chip, and Putt in Arkansas. If he wins that, he advances to the championship at Augusta National.