Driven to Succeed
A Longwood boy’s skill and determination take center stage at the Drive, Chip & Putt golf competition for young players
Golf can be the most frustrating sport ever invented. Everyone – from pros to weekend hackers has likely had a moment when they wanted to throw every single club in the water and play something that doesn’t make their brain want to explode.
Grayson Salmons, at the ripe old age of 13, has the perfect approach to prevent those emotional meltdowns.
“My thought process? Well, I don’t really have a thought process for golf,” says the Longwood boy, “because if I use a thought process, then I will completely ruin everything.”
From Baby Steps to Tournament Play
Don’t assume Grayson isn’t driven to succeed, though. The Rock Lake Middle School student is the son of Barb Bergin, executive director of Central Florida Crimeline, and Holly Salmons, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida.
Barb gave Grayson a plastic set of golf clubs when he was 18 months old. Two years later he started using real clubs. Recently, he began chasing a golfer’s dream: to play at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, home of the Masters Tournament. Grayson’s opportunity came by participating in Drive, Chip & Putt, a joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters, United States Golf Association, and the PGA of America. Although he fell short of his goal, Grayson enjoyed an impressive run in the tournament.
A nationwide junior competition, Drive, Chip & Putt was established with the goal of tapping the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys (ages 7-15). The contest gives young golfers of all skill levels a chance to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country. Participants who advance through local, subregional, and regional qualifying in each age and gender category earn a place in the national finals at Augusta in April 2027.
The competition consists of nine total balls: three drives, three chips, and three putts. Driving points depend on distance while landing within a 40-yard-wide grid; chipping and putting points increase with proximity to the hole.
“It’s perfect for a kid learning the game to focus on those three disciplines,” says Barb, who has been an avid golfer since her teenage years.
Grayson breezed through the first two qualifiers, starting with a local contest at Mission Resort + Club at Howey-in-the-Hill. He finished second among 19 boys and then moved on to a subregional contest at The Conservatory in Palm Coast, finishing first among 18 boys.
Next up was the southeast regional qualifier at the iconic TPC Sawgrass course in Ponte Vedra Beach, where Grayson was the only competitor from Central Florida to make it that far in his category (boys ages 12-13). His run ended there, as Grayson finished in the middle of the pack among 12 participants.
“I was happy that I got there,” he says, “but I was not happy with how I did.”
Have Golf Club, Will Travel
Undeterred, Grayson’s golf journey continues with the help of Miriam Piland-Rice and Cheryl Anderson, his well-respected local coaches.
To date, Grayson has played more than 60 golf courses in Florida alone. He has also golfed around the country, including at the historic Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, Arrowhead Golf Club in Colorado in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Whistling Straits Golf Course in Wisconsin, and Mount Massive in Colorado, which at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level is North America’s highest golf course.
Grayson meticulously charts every place he has played in a notebook. He will keep chipping away, if you will, to improve. His driver has been fitted five times in the past three months to get the proper grip. He never plays without a glove, and his focus is measured by the number of times (50!) he has played 36 holes of golf in one day. All he needed was a lunch break in between.
“I would encourage any family to participate in sports, not just golf,” says Barb, who is Grayson’s frequent partner on the course. “Competition is great for kids. It teaches you to be humble, and it can also drive you to the next level.”
And although Holly isn’t a golfer, she plays an important role in making sure Grayson is well-rounded.
“I provide support, snacks, arts, and academics,” she says.
With the support of his parents, Grayson intends to continue pursuing his passion for golf.
“I almost don’t even have to learn anything else about golf,” says Grayson. “I just need to get better at it. That’s really it.”