This Somerset 8-year-old played in a major golf tournament. And she's just getting started

Reese Hunsinger put her sweet swing to good use this past weekend.

Competing in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships at the Longleaf Golf & Family Club last week in Pinehurst, N.C., the Somerset North Elementary School third-grader finished in a two-way tie for 41st place in a field of 86 in the Girls Age 8 division.

In the third and final nine-hole round, Hunsinger matched her career best score with a 39. Her three-day score was 122 (41-42-39), 14 over par. Bella Simoes of Brazil won with a 9-under-par 99.

Also, Reese and her father/caddy Mike Hunsinger tied for seventh place in the U.S. Kids Golf Parent/Child Tournament, held two days before the World Championships began. They shot a 4-under-par 66. The winning score was 7 under par 30.

Reese very much lived the international life on the course and, Mike noted, returned home with a much broader Spanish vocabulary. In her three rounds, she played with just one American, a girl from California, three girls from Mexico and one from Ecuador.

“It was really fun,” she said. “I like meeting new kids from around the world.”

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Mike said his daughter’s swing held up well. One of the big challenges was trying to read the extremely large Bermuda grass greens. “It was very fast. They (putts) broke more than you thought,” she said. 

“Going in, I knew she’s a good player, and this just solidified it,” Michael said. “Her swing is as good as anyone’s. She hit the ball great. She was not overpowered by the course.”

Reese is playing in a regional drive, chip and putt competition this Wednesday.

It’s been a memorable golfing summer for the Hunsingers. Just before they left for Pinehurst, Mike won his third Fall River Country Club championship.

It wasn’t easy. Hunsinger was pushed to 19 holes before dethroning 2021 club champion Jordan Warnock.

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Actually, it was Hunsinger doing the pushing, as he trailed by three holes with five holes to play after being even through nine. Admittedly working on his concession speech after losing the 13th hole, Hunsinger won 14, 16, and 18.

The duo returned the the par 4 first hole for sudden death. Hunsinger made a solid par. Warnock, who conceded Hunsinger’s short par putt, missed his own par putt after driving into the infamous tub and leaving his second shot in the bunker short of the green.

“He’s a real, real good player,” Hunsinger said. “He played at Boston College last year. My goal was to get to the finals and see what I have that day.”

Hunsinger also won the FRCC title in 2019 and 2018. He lost in the 2020 final and fell in the semifinals a year ago.