Sophia Ditta remembers it clearly; a Metropolitan PGA tournament on a hot summer day. Her 9-year-old self bowing to the pressure. And then her father’s voice in her head.
“Don’t give up. Never give up. It can only switch around,” Ditta remembered.
What You Need To Know
- Sophia Ditta started playing golf at 7-years-old when her dad introduced her and her brother to the sport
- After that, Ditta went on to win multiple competitions and even PSAL championships during her freshman year
- Ditta hopes her example and leadership will encourage other athletes of all backgrounds to get involved in the sport she loves
And just like that, she turned her game around, finishing first place in the tournament. It was the perfect example of what Ditta says is the greatest lesson of golf.
“It teaches you to ignore the past when necessary,” Ditta explained. “If you have something really bad that happened in your past or you hit a bad shot, it’s over. It’s done with like there’s literally nothing else you can do at that point except go onto the next shot and move forward. So that really helps me in school, and life, and everything.”
It’s a lesson Ditta admits she’s still learning despite 12 MET PGA Tournament wins. This Francis Lewis High School senior also took home the PSAL individual tournament championship as a freshman, beating out two seniors.
“Not many women play golf and so it was just nice to be recognized for it,” Ditta said.
The lack of diversity in the sport she loves wasn’t something Ditta realized when she first started swinging at 7-years-old.
“I’ve definitely gotten some looks at certain country clubs where the men are like ‘What are they doing here?’” Ditta remarked.
She hopes that through her example, she can inspire more girls to get involved.
“It’s so frustrating and it’s so crazy that they don’t think that we deserve to be there but I definitely love seeing more diversity in golf just because I think it can help people of all ethnicities, all races, all genders,” Ditta acknowledged.
Ditta serves as team captain, taking on the role of teaching others the game. Her goal is to make sure even those new to the sport find a place on the team.
“I love teaching other people and I love seeing their improvement,” the young athlete said.
Ditta’s talents exist not only in the course. She also is on the track team, dances, and took part in SING’s theater performance.
Sophia Ditta is headed to Binghamton University next year. She plans on studying nursing while making time for 18 holes when she can, hoping to encourage others simply by stepping onto the green.