AUSTIN, Texas — At just 3 years old was when Swetha Sathish first got introduced to golf by her father. She was swinging a club that was bigger than she was.

“It was at 5 years old they really saw something in my swing,” says Sathish. “From there, we discovered every step of the way.”

Sathish says she got her first lessons through a Groupon deal, and that’s when her golf career really began.

“I knew this is what I’ve wanted to do since I was 8 years old,” says Sathish, “I’ve always had a dream of going pro.”

When she was younger, Sathish says playing golf was a lot about spending time with her father. She says that is still the case, but now, it’s also her thing.

Growing up in Ontario, Canada, she started to take golf more and more seriously as she got older. She began traveling to tournaments and testing her skills against other top young players. In 2022, her family decided to move to Texas and allow more opportunities for her to get better at golf.

After a year of taking classes online, Sathish decided she wanted to join a team, so they started looking for schools across Texas. They saw that Vandegrift High School had won the 6A state golf title in 2023, and that was going to be her new home.

“I knew that’s the kind of girls I want to be around and play with,” says Sathish. “It was definitely one of the best decisions for sure.”

Sathish says coach Aaron Ford and the rest of the team made it easy for her to fit in with the group. She helped Vandegrift win a second straight 6A golf title recently, while she was the individual champ shooting a 70 and 68 at the state tournament to win by 4 shots.

“I’m speechless, that last putt I was shaking,” said Sathish after the tournament. “I’m so happy, and I have to give everything to my team and my coach and my family.”

Sathish will have a chance to come back as a senior next year and defend her title. After high school, she’ll head off to play in college and has already committed to Arkansas.

“Arkansas is a beautiful college town. I loved the campus,” says Sathish. “The coaches are great, and the facilities are some of the best you’ll ever see in the country for college golf.”

If she continues to follow the plan, the dream of going pro could be within her reach. She’s put a lot of work in having the success on the course that she’s already had.

“The motivation is just to be the best at my passion,” says Sathish. “That’s what my motto is, and that’s what my parents have taught me.”