Megha Ganne sank birdie after birdie in the first round of the LPGA U.S. Women's Open on Thursday, sending the 17-year-old to the top of the leaderboard on Thursday.
That marked only the second time ever that an amateur has led a round at the U.S. Women's Open, and the first time since 2006 it has happened.
Meanwhile, back at Ganne's high school in Holmdel, New Jersey, there is plenty of pride for the young, possible star in the making.
"This is such an incredible accomplishment right now at 17 years old," said Kathy Bradley, the coach for girl's golf team at Holmdel High School. "Just thinking about all she's done is mind-blowing. We're just so proud of her."
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Ganne doesn't play on the school's golf team, but Bradley said her talent has long been encouraged by her Haitian-born parents.
"Starting at such a young age, she was always so dedicated. Everything that she does, she puts her whole heart into," Bradley said.
Balancing her remote classes at Holmdel High School with her intense athletic schedule is not easy. Bradley said the junior able to do it because of her deep commitment to both her academics and her sport.
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"She's very tough on herself. I know I complimented her on her game at Augusta when she came home, and she just felt like she could have done much better," Bradley said. "And I was like, 'Oh my God, you did so great!' I guess that's the difference between an athlete and an elite athlete."
The school is looking forward to having another member of the Ganne family as a freshman come the fall, which Bradley said she hopes will entice Megha to come back to the team.
"Her sister Serena is going to be on the golf team next year, so I'm hopeful that Megha will want to come back and play a little bit so the sisters can be teammates," Bradley said.
When she graduates in 2022, Megha will be off to Stanford to play for the golf team there — the same school where Tiger Woods crafted his game to become one of the greatest of all time.
On Friday, Ganne shot an even par, putting her in a tie for third place overall after the second round, just two strokes behind the leader.
