Ganne Sisters Advance To Drive, Chip, Putt Finals In Augusta

Sisters Megha and Sirina Ganne of Holmdel will be a rare duo when they reach Augusta National for the finals of the 2017 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship on Sunday, April 2.

On Sept. 24, the sisters each won a division in the Baltusrol Regional of the Drive Chip and Putt competition in Springfield, N.J. on Sept. 24, to advance to the finals in Augusta.

Megha, who had participated in the national finals in 2015, won the the Girls 12-13 age group at Baltusrol while Sirina won the 7-9 Girls Division.

GOLF CHANNEL VIDEO OF GANNE SISTERS

Both participate in the First Tee of Essex County at Weequahic Golf Course in Newark where they are coached by Katie Brenny.

"Megha and Sirina are doing something very special. What surprises me the most for kids their age is their self-driven discipline to put in what it takes to get the results they are seeing. Their motto is as long as they are having fun they should continue," Ms. Brenny said."What's surprising for a 9-year-old and a 12-year-old is they both think getting up at 5 a.m. to practice before school and hitting the gym for strength and flexibility training is genuinely fun."

Megha’s score of 136 – 21 more than second place in the Girls 12-13 division – guaranteed her another chance to compete for the national title. But even more special for her parents, Sudha and Hari, was that seven-year-old Sirina will be joining her. Sirina won the Girls 7-9 division, with a score of 86 – including scoring a 55 in putting.

“That’s definitely going to be much more fun than going by myself,” Megha said afterward. “Once she made it, I knew I had to make it, too. I was definitely a little nervous though because I wanted to go with her.

“My dad loved golf. He started taking me to the range when I was 5, and I loved it so much that I kept playing,” Megha said.

Others were also thankful at Baltusrol to get the opportunity to for a trip to Augusta National include Austin Liao of Warren, N.J., in Boys 12-13; Ian Walters of Glenn Allen, Va., in Boys 14-15; and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada in Girls 14-15.

When asked what is it like to coach two sisters who are going to finals of Drive Chip and Putt in Augusta, Brenny replied:

"In many ways it's a bit of a relief to know my teaching style works. I teach kids how to play golf, not how to play golf swing. That entails everything from how you treat people on a daily basis to pushing your body physically and mind mentally. I work extra hard to make sure our kids put value to the integrity it takes to play the game. I like to push kids beyond what they know about themselves to show them they are capable of way more than they ever imagined. Having Megha and Sirina both advance on a national stage proves something must be working."

Brenny feels the Ganne sisters should elish the opporunity to perform at Augusta National.

"I hope they just have the best experience. It's such a magical place and I hope they take the experience to make memories that will last the rest of their lives. However they finish in the event is just icing on the cake," the coach stated.