When Gianna Clemente was first introduced to golf as a toddler, the stakes were not quite as high as the LPGA.
Range sessions with her father, Patrick, included friendly wagers over a bag of M&Ms or a Snickers.
“She grew up on the golf course. It’s in the family to be at the club all the time,” said Patrick, who played college golf at Youngstown State. “We tried to keep it fun.”
Patrick had no idea his daughter would show the strive and passion to become a rising star in the sport. He’s been able to see every step of the journey pulling double duty as dad and caddie.
“Golf started as something that I just wanted to be around my dad,” Clemente said. “Deep down, he loves caddying. He wants to be out here just as much as I do.”
‘There was this drive and fire’
March 23, 2024; Graniteville, S.C., USA; Gianna Clemente, of Fla., examines her ball on the 9th green during the final round of the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale/THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE-USA TODAY Network
Clemente, 16, is the top-ranked amateur in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. She won the American Junior Golf Association’s Mizuho Americas Open in May and helped lead Team USA to the U.S. Ping Junior Solheim Cup title Sept. 10. She received a sponsor invite to the Kroger Queen City Championship this week at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, her sixth career LPGA Tour event.
In 2022, Clemente played in the inaugural Kroger Queen City Championship at Kenwood Country Club at 14 years old, becoming just the second player ever (Hee-Won Han) to Monday qualify for three consecutive LPGA events.
This time around, there’s no early-week pressure as she’s secured a spot in the field amongst the game’s best.
“Just to be on tour, week to week like this, this has been my dream since I was a little kid,” Clemente said in her pre-tournament press conference Tuesday.
It’s a dream that began with countless hours with dad between Squaw Creek and Avalon Lakes Golf Course in Trumbull County. Other sports like gymnastics and softball didn’t stick the way golf did. By the age of 10, she had won two major junior championships. At 11, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur and wasn’t fazed by the slew of cameras and media attention that came along with it.
“There was just this drive and fire. It was almost like she liked that attention. I thought that was a little unique,” Patrick said. “Everybody is nervous, but I thought the way she…
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