Indian-born Dubai resident Ananyaa Sood demonstrated her prowess and resolve to secure the second spot in the Girls 13-year-old Division of the US Kids World Teen Championship, held at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Ananyaa scored rounds of 74, 72, and 72, totaling two-over par 218 over 54 holes. Recently, she also claimed victory in the 13-year-old Division of the US Kids European Championship in Scotland. Ananyaa is a member of The Els Club, Dubai, and is mentored by Sujjan Singh at the Claude Harmon CH3 Academy at the club.
The competition at Pine Needles included 79 participants from the US, Great Britain, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Singapore, and India. Ananyaa recorded 10 birdies during the tournament, with six in her final round, finishing just one stroke behind the US champion, who posted a final round of 69. Reflecting on her experience, Ananyaa shared, "I had a fantastic week at Pine Needles, and it was a valuable learning experience competing on the global stage."
Despite facing challenging weather conditions, Ananyaa managed to play 14 holes on the first day and had an early start the next day, finishing tied for third after the first round. She expressed, "The final day was thrilling with many fluctuations on my scorecard. Looking back, I believe I could have managed myself better towards the end, but overall, I was satisfied with my performance throughout the week."
Ananyaa has two more AJGA events lined up before returning to Dubai: the Babygrande Stanford Junior All-Star at Stanford Golf Course, California, from August 6th - 8th, 2024, and The Spin Junior All-Star at Morongo Golf Club, California, from August 14th - 16th. The U.S. Kids Golf World Teen Championship, recognized by Junior Golf Scoreboard, AJGA, and the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), invites golfers aged 13-18 to compete on seven championship courses in the Pinehurst area. Additionally, US Kids operates a local UAE Tour that conducts tournaments throughout the season at various golf clubs across the country.
