Teenage sensation Ananyaa Sood wins on Van Horn Cup comeback at Pinehurst

After securing an impressive second-place finish in the recent US Kids Golf World Teen Championship, Dubai resident Ananyaa Sood is looking forward to competing in the prestigious Van Horn Cup at Pinehurst, USA on Sunday, 4th August.

The top eight boys and top four girls from each age group at the end of the three-day World Teen Championship, were invited to compete in a one-day best-ball tournament at Pinehurst No. 4, one of the most breathtaking golf courses in North Carolina.

Thirteen-year-old Ananyaa, who is a member of The Els Club, Dubai, told Khaleej Times: “This is my second experience with the Van Horn Cup. I played in the European Van Horn Cup earlier this year.

"My partner and I won our match for the Blue team shooting a 67 (-5) at Pinehurst No. 4. I got on a bit of a birdie run on the back nine with five straight birdies.”

The overall result was a tie between the Blue Team and the Red Team, on 4.5 points each.

“The format is team best ball stroke play. You have to play your own ball and the best score after the hole counts for each team,” she added.

“The players are divided into two teams, Red and Blue. After 36 holes the first and fourth positions get paired and the second and third position gets paired.”

The next tournament for Ananyaa is the Babygrande Stanford Junior All-Star at Stanford Golf Club, California, from the 6th – to the 8th of August.

Each year, the US Kids Golf World Teen Championship welcomes golfers aged 13 - 18 to seven championship courses in the Pinehurst area.

These courses, this event and the community as a whole have provided a stage for golf’s next generation of stars to shine.

The schedule consists of a parent/child tournament, a night of skills challenges, three rounds of championship play, and the Closing Ceremony. Following the three-day championship, the Van Horn Cup — a one-day best ball tournament featuring the top players from each age group. — is contested on Pinehurst No. 4.