Ready for her turn

Sophomore Megan Van Etten hopes to lead the way for Mitchell's girls golf team.

By DAVID MURPHY
Published August 29, 2007

TRINITY - Pay no attention to the eighth-grader in the pink skirt standing at the far left of the driving range, sending balls in a straight line down the giant ocean of grass, one after the other, one after the other, one after the other, like Rain Man with a 9-iron. That's Rebecca Van Etten, and you'll be hearing about her in a couple of years. For now, let's train our sights on the middle child, the one standing in the center of it all, slowly approaching the ball, raising her club, and sending another tiny white sphere soaring into the lush green yonder.

Megan Van Etten. Sophomore. Mitchell.

Not yet the best girls golfer in the area, but certainly on her way.

"You don't have to tell her to work," Joe Castellano says as the girl in the salmon-colored top strikes again. "She's constantly working to get better."

In the Van Etten household, it's a life skill.

If you are unfamiliar with the first family of North Suncoast golf, here's a quick introduction: Roger Van Etten grew up on a golf course, with a father who was the superintendent of said facility in central Pennsylvania. He played baseball for a while before settling on golf. His two brothers did likewise.

Years later, Roger found himself a golf pro, and the father of three daughters, all within five years of age of one another.

"I'd take them out to the course just to get them out of my wife's hair," Roger said. "I remember carrying Rebecca in the crook of my arm while the other two rode in the cart."

They called it "The Cart Ride," and it's all they ever looked forward to. Dad would come home from the course and pick up the girls and their sawed-off clubs, and they would ride around to find a vacant hole and spend one, two, three hours hitting balls into the fading Pennsylvania twilight.

Emily, Megan, Rebecca.

Chip shots. Lobs. Putts.

"That's what we waited for all day long," said Emily, the oldest, who last year won the Class 2A, Region 4 while at Mitchell and this year is a freshman golfer at USF.

When the family moved to Florida three years ago, Emily was already an established golfer, having participated in the 2004 PIAA state tournament in Pennsylvania as a sophomore.

Megan was just starting to come into her own.

Last year as a freshman, she and her older sister played every match together. When Emily shot 72 at districts, Megan shot 79. When Emily finished first at regionals, Megan finished eighth.

Yet there is no sibling rivalry.

"Everyone always asks us that," Megan said, "but it's not like that."

Emily says she hopes her little sister one day joins her at USF.

Megan, meanwhile, credits Emily with learning some of the mental aspects of the game.

"You're playing the golf course," Megan said. "You're not playing the other person."

Heading into the 2007 season, those lessons are starting to pay off. With Emily gone, Megan is expected to be a leader at Mitchell. She placed third in the Sunshine Athletic Conference last season and will have to overcome Wesley Chapel star T.J. Adipietro if she wants to contend for the title.

"She has the potential to do it," Castellano said. "She hits the ball straight, she's got a solid demeanor. It's going to come down to if she can hit a few putts."

Late Monday afternoon, Megan packed up her clubs, replaced her divots, and walked toward the place where the rest of her teammates were congregating.

Mitchell's season opener was one day away, and it was time for practice.

Megan ambled away from the driving range.

One person remained.

"She wants to be as good as we are," Megan said as she watched the 13-year-old in the pink skirt continue to swing.

At this point, it seems almost a given.

David Murphy can be reached at dmurphy@sptimes.com or 352 848-1407.

[Last modified August 29, 2007, 01:07:34]