Glenview’s Effie Perakis holed a putt every diehard golfer dreams about making.
The 9-year-old’s 30-footer on the 18th hole at Augusta National, home of the Masters, helped her win her division of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals on April 5.
When her bright yellow ball fell into the cup, Effie produced one of the most memorable celebrations of the youth tournament. The joyful jump in front of hundreds of on-lookers landed her on the cover of the Augusta Chronicle newspaper’s Masters edition the following day.
“I’ve never putted on greens that fast,” Effie said. “It curled right in at the end. That day, my putting was the best.”
Effie, who competed in the 7- to 9-year-old division, was joined at Augusta National by her father, Harry Perakis, mother Christine Perakis, and older sister, Maria Perakis. It was the first time at Augusta National for each of them.
“It was such an awesome experience, especially the way they treated us,” Harry Perakis said. “They made [Effie] feel like she was playing in the Masters.”
The day after the competition, the Perakises attended the first practice round of the Masters and got to see Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 1-ranked player, up close.
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“He was humble, even with all of the great success he’s had,” Effie said of the four-time major champion. “It was really cool to see him there.”
Golf is a family affair for the Perakises.
Harry Perakis got hooked on the game about 15 years ago when a college friend took him to a driving range. Now, all four of the Perakises play golf. Weather permitting, the four of them try to tee it up every evening at the Glenview Prairie Club, a nine-hole course in town where they have memberships.
“It’s a great way to get outside and be together,” Christine Perakis said. “Golf is a game that brings generations together.”
Effie and Maria Perakis, 12, both are members of the Illinois Junior Golf Association and have been playing competitively for a couple of seasons. This was the second time the two participated in the Drive, Chip & Putt tournament.
“We try to help each other out,” Maria said. “We will practice together, and if one of us is not hitting it that great, we will try to point out what is wrong, so we can become better.”
Maria said she was excited to see her sister play golf on such a big stage.
“It was nice to finally go onto a nice course where the pros play,” Maria said. “It was great to see Effie out there and to see the joy on her face.”
Usually, driving is the strength of Effie’s game, but she was in sixth place in the 10-player field after that portion of the competition. She climbed up to a tie for second following the chipping and catapulted into first place with her putting. Her dad said she stayed positive throughout the day.
“She told me after the driving and chipping that she could win it,” Harry Perakis said. “She kept fighting until the end. That’s what I loved about it. Both of my girls are so resilient and both have great attitudes about golf.”
Effie said there is never a reason to get down when playing golf, even if the stakes are high and the stage is arguably the most famous course in the world.
“If you do that, you will lose control and maybe not recover,” she said. “I knew I could still win it after not driving it that well. After that, I was focused on my chips and putts.
“It was all pretty exciting. I can’t wait to play more.”
Twitter: @harnesspreps