Two-time Rolex All American Sadie Englemann is March’s Featured Player. Englemann, from Austin, Texas, has played in the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex for three consecutive years. She finished T23 at the most-recent edition this past January. However, her finish at the Buick ShanShan Feng Girls Invitational really turned some heads. Sadie shot a 71-71-69 to win the event in Valencia, Calif. in February. Similar to the ANNIKA Invitational USA, the tournament featured some of golf’s best junior girls. The win helped Sadie move up to 10th in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
We caught up with Sadie after her recent win to get some insight on her golf career as well as her life. Here’s what she had to say:
What is your favorite food?
Tex-Mex food
What is your favorite TV show?
Riverdale
What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas
Who is your favorite golfer and why?
Jordan Spieth because he has fire when he plays, similar to me. He is also a great person on and off the course.
What do you like to do when you are not playing golf?
I enjoy exercising, listening to music, hanging out with my parents and friends and playing with my dog.
Who is your biggest role model?
My biggest role model is my mom because of how hard she has worked to become successful and I would love to be like that.
What is your favorite part of playing golf?
My favorite part of playing golf is the heat of competition. When it comes down to the last holes and you have to hit the shots under pressure, that’s what I love.
If you could share the most important piece of advice you’ve ever received with other aspiring female golfers, what would it be?
The most important piece of advice I have ever received was just to enjoy what you do. We get to play the sport we love every day with people we are close with. It is important to remember this even when things are going perfectly, which is still difficult for me to do[SR1] .
Do you have a pre-round routine? If so, what is it?
I don’t have an exact routine before a round because I try to make it as casual as possible. Doing so leaves no room for pre-round nerves and makes it as similar as possible to a normal practice day.
Why did you start playing golf? How old were you when you started playing?
I started golf when I was about 4 years old. I started because I used to watch my dad enjoy the game so I decided to try it for myself and have loved it ever since.
What is your greatest golf memory?
My favorite golf memory came this summer when I got to hit shots with Jordan Spieth at his junior tournament in Dallas. I don’t think I have ever been so nervous/excited standing over a golf ball just trying to make sure I made contact!
What was your best career score? Where did it take place?
My best career score is 63 and it was at my home course Austin Country Club in a tournament.
What is your favorite tournament you’ve played in so far?
My favorite tournament I have played in is the Rolex Girls Invitational this summer. The course we played was in great shape and was gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and I got to see my two best friends. I also played four solid rounds of golf.
Do you set goals before each season? If so, what were some of your goals this year?
I try not to set specific goals for the year because I do not want them to be unrealistic but I always have some in the back of my mind. For this year one of my main goals was to win an invitational. I am happy to have accomplished that and now I have a few goals that include some team events and such.
Speaking of which, congratulations on your recent win at the Buick ShanShan Feng Girls Invitational. How did it feel to win your first AJGA Invitational?
Thank you! It felt amazing to win my first invitational and prove to myself that I could compete against some of the best players and shoot low scores on a tough golf course. Just coming off the course knowing I trust my game, I felt more confident than ever.
What are you looking forward to the most about playing in the Symetra Tour’s IOA Championship?
I am really looking forward to playing in the Symetra IOA Championship to watch and learn from the girls and see what it takes to play at that level of the game. It will also be great to experience how the course is set up to see the differences in the greens, yardages and course in general.
Any other advice you would like to share with young golfers about the game or just life in general?
My advice to other young golfers is don’t rush the years you play junior golf. Go have fun in the tournaments with your friends. Go focus during the round and then let loose after because you deserve it. If you have a bad round or tournament, don’t let it affect you because it could actually be a great chance to change things and work even harder. And finally, enjoy it while you can because it goes by faster than you could ever imagine.
Sadie has the most AJGA wins in the past year, along with Akshay Bhatia, Joaquin Niemann, Julian Perico, Lucy Li, Xin (Cindy) Kou and Yealimi Noh. She also won the Bishops Gate Golf Academy Junior at Horseshoe Bay and the Under Armour / Jordan Spieth Championship presented by American Campus Communities, both in 2017. She was also the 2017 Texas State Junior Champion. Englemann, who graduates in 2020, is still undecided about college but wherever she goes, she hopes to win a National Championship and eventually make it on the LPGA Tour.