Page 164 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2016

SPORTS & OUTDOORS coast golf update THEHIGHESTLEVEL
Rising golf star Hannah Levi ready for the future
story by Russ Bloom, PGA pro, The Oaks Golf Club photo by Michael Sunderman
As a PGA professional, I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of amateur golfers looking to improve their skills. Many just want to learn the basic skills to enjoy a friendly game with friends. However, a special few seek the advanced skills to compete at the highest level. Every once in a while a student comes along with the desire and skills to be among the best in the game. Two years ago, Hannah Levi contacted me and we began working on her game.
Hannah was shooting in the high 70s and low 80s; very good for a 14 year old. She obviously had the physical tools and just needed help with her swing and the right tools to get her on a track for success. Quickly I realized that Hannah was much more than just a good junior or high school player. She made difficult swing changes easily and made major improvement in a short amount of time.
Within six months of working together, I would put her ball striking up against the best women players in the world — perfect ball flight, speed increasing week by week and all while improving her short game and putting. By the end of our first year together, she finished second in the 6A State High School Tournament, won multiple times on the Kelly Gibson Junior Tour, won on the SJGT Tour event, and finished the summer as Player of the Year on the Kelly Gibson Tour.
She was consistently shooting around par with several tournament scores under par. Most recently, she won the 6A State High School Championship as a sophomore, shooting 72-72=144 at The Oaks. This summer Hannah will continue to gain experience on a more national level by playing in the U.S. Junior Qualifying, U.S. Women’s Amateur Qualifying, and AJGA events.
In the next year, Hannah will have some major decisions to make as she is on the radar of dozens of college coaches. After the summer we expect her to have, she’ll be able to choose where she wants to go.
I look forward to being a part of her golf career wherever it may lead, whether or not she decides to play golf for a living. More importantly, she is a really cool and respectful, straight A student who’s in the top five in her class at D’Iberville High School. Her parents, Kathryn and Kelly Levi, shaped the person she is, and I am fortunate to be a part of her progress.
RISING GOLF STAR Hannah Levi with Russ Bloom, PGA Pro at The Oaks Golf Club.
164 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • June 2016 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net