NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Brandon Sipe has himself on a pretty strict schedule. He wakes up, begins his homeschooling lessons for the day, takes a break for breakfast, finishes his lessons and then is on his way to Kiln Creek Golf Course by 9:45. He’ll play 18 holes, take a break for lunch, go to the driving range, and by that point his day is just about done. The routine described is that of a 13 year old self- made, golf prodigy.
“We first realized he could play the first time he swung a club,” said Brandon’s father, Stephen.
Brandon grew up playing competitive tennis however there weren’t opportunities for him to advance. Many tournaments for his age group were contested with smaller rackets and foam balls which frustrated him. He decided to give golf a shot and ever since he fore caddied for LPGA tour golfer, Kelly Tan, at a local first tee event in Williamsburg, he’s wanted to play professionally. To this day, Brandon has never taken a true golf lesson.
“He is self taught,” his father said. “Just by watching people doing it right he evolved his own swing, technique and everything.”
It wasn’t long before Brandon started entering tournaments and winning them consistently. A lefty who plays right handed, he won the Scott Robertson Memorial earlier this year and the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship last year as the youngest golfer in a pool of 30.
“The Scott Robertson, a lot of the PGA tour pro players played in it and some won it and if I ever make it to the PGA tour, I'll say I won the Scott Robertson just like a bunch of other guys did,” said Brandon.
He’s also the youngest golfer to qualify for the VSGA tournament happening later this month. He’ll be competing against pros in their 40s and 50s but he already knows what he needs to do to compete with older players.
“I don't hit it as far as they do. I have to find a way to hit my long irons better than their wedges. That's really all it takes,” Brandon said. “It doesn't matter how far you hit it, as long as you hit it in the fairway most of the time and you hit the long irons perfectly it’ll make it a lot easier.”
At such a young age, Brandon has already established an impeccable work ethic that will continue to set him up for success. For Brandon’s father, watching his son develop and seeing him have fun while doing so is the biggest reward.
“Just watching him be happy. Looking at him when he succeeds at something and he realizes that hard work will bring success,” he said. “He puts in the hard work. We’re not the ones bringing him up here, he’s dragging us up here.”