Quedesha Golledge will head to the USA in July to play in three tournaments following her win in the Australian junior 13-14 years girl's golf championship at Royal Pines in the Gold Coast.
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The rising young golf star is a regular on the Kew Country Club golf course.
This will be Quedesha's first overseas trip and the first time she's been in a plane. The Australian championship was played over three days. Quedesha hadn't played the Royal Pines course previously, other than a practice round before the event.
She experienced a high, low and an exhilarating high over the duration. Quedesha admitted she had no real expectation about how she'd go when she entered the event.
"I just wanted to do my best and play well,'' she said.
Quedesha started perfectly, firing a first round 78 to take a six shot lead into the second day. However, things went pear shaped on day two when she crashed with a round of 91.
"I was pretty nervous at the start of the second day,'' she explained.
"I didn't play very well.''
However, she was determined to finish in a big way.
"I thought if I had a 77 I might be a chance of winning,'' Quedesha said.
Her calculations were out by one - she returned a 78 and this was good enough to give her a three shot win with an overall total of 247.
However, there was also a bit of a wait for other players to put their cards in. Quedesha knew she was in with a great chance before it was confirmed she was the Australian champion.
"It felt pretty good,'' she said.
Now she's gearing up for her first tilt at international competition in the US. She'll be jetting to tournaments in San Diego and California. Quedesha concedes this will be an unknown.
"There's going to be some good top there,'' she reasoned.
"But it's going to be a good experience.''
Quedesha's having a big year. She won the girl's 14/15 years title at the Wagga Wagga Masters in February, so earning a place in the champion of champions to be held at Bonville in November.
Earning a start at Bonville had been her goal at the start of the year.
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She's been working with her coach, former Taree professional Wayne Dodd, for more than seven years. Dodd has no doubt Quedesha is destined for bigger things.
He also organised to fit her out with a new set of clubs at the start of the year and Quedesha credits this as a major factor in her run of form.
Going into the nationals Quedesha's handicap was 6.6 although it would be lower now.
"I have a goal to get down to scratch by my 16th birthday,'' she said.
Quedesha turns 15 next month.
