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Paige Sweikar is only 11 years old. Yet, she talks like an old pro when it comes to her impressive ability on the golf course.
The phenom entered new and rare air with her latest accomplishment on the course at the end of June, becoming the youngest champion in the history of the prestigious Greater South Bend Women's Metro Golf Tournament played at Elbel and Erskine.
Sweikar shot a two-round total of 152 with back-to-back rounds of 76 to top runner-up and defending champion Delaney Wade for the title in the 99th edition of the annual event. Sweikar totaled seven birdies in her impressive pair of rounds to claim the championship.
More: Trinity Academy, Plymouth win first-ever IHSAA boys golf regional titles
More: Here are the 11 best public golf courses you can play in Indiana in 2026
Wade, a former standout at Penn High School, shot matching rounds of 78 to finish at 156. Kathy Cochrane, who shared the low round of the tournament on Sunday with Lori Horan (each posting a 74) was third Gross and won the Net Division title. Horan finished fourth Gross.
"It felt really exciting, and I'm pretty proud of what I did," said Sweikar on her latest tourney win. "I knew that I could play well and I knew after the first day that I had a good chance. Either way, I just wanted to go out and play well and have fun and be proud of what I did."
Sweikar will enter the sixth grade this fall at Trinity Academy in South Bend. Her older brothers Dane and Cole helped lead the Trinity boys team to a 10th place finish at the IHSAA state finals June 16-17 at the Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel. Trinity was third at the sectional and won the regional.
Paige began playing golf at around age five, according to her father Michael.
"We were taking her to all of the tournaments her brothers were playing in, and she decided she wanted to try it," said Michael. "She was playing with players older than her, and we saw that she enjoyed it and was good at it too.
"I'm just really proud of her, not just for the golf part of it. She has a lot of fun with it. She works hard at it and wants to get better. I spend a lot of time caddying for her or her brothers and that is what I love. We get to spend a lot of time together and that's what I enjoy."
Sweikar, whose mother is Roxie, has spent time playing on the local Lifestyle golf tour. John Fischer is the tour director and also the men's golf coach at Bethel University.
"I just love to go out and play every day and see improvement," said Paige. "It's built up my confidence to play against older players. It's helped me quite a bit. Sometimes it is a little nerve racking, but in the end, I make sure that I'm having fun.
"Sometimes I'm a little nervous, but John (Fischer) has interviewed me and that helps."
Sweikar, who calls Knollwood Country Club in Granger her home course, also enjoys riding horses at the Heatherwood Equestrian Academy in Granger and playing basketball.
"I think my favorite course may be Prairie View, where my brothers played for state," noted Paige.
"We've built the boys golf program at Trinity this past few years, and it would be really cool in the future if Paige could be part of a Trinity girls team that goes to state," added Michael. "There's definitely moments when she does something on the course with a shot or a putt and it surprises me that she's 11. That's always a lot of fun. But I also really enjoy watching her battle through adversity out there. Watching her overcome the bad shots."
Paige, for her part, is set to play in another Lifestyle tour event later this month. She will also compete in the U.S. Kids Championship July 30-August 1 at the amazing Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.
"I think her ceiling is as high as she wants to keep working for," said Michael. "She was lucky to start playing at such a young age and she has the tools. It's just a lot of work to keep growing your game and still having fun with it."
Lori Horan, who has won the South Bend Women's Metro 24 times, made an impression on Paige. Horan won her first Metro championship as a 16-year-old student at Clay High School as Lori Heiden back in 1979.
"It was just really cool with everything that she has done to get to play in the tournament with Lori," said Paige.
Paige said that her favorite golfer is Nelly Korda. The 27-year-old has been on the LPGA Tour since 2017 and has 24 pro wins, including 19 on the LPGA Tour.
Paige noted that her low rounds are a 30 for nine holes and a 74 for a full round.
"I want to play someday in college and then on the LPGA tour," said Paige. "I know that it's going to take a lot of practice and days on the range, but I believe I can do it."
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Paige Sweikar is already making her mark on area golf courses
Continue reading...
The phenom entered new and rare air with her latest accomplishment on the course at the end of June, becoming the youngest champion in the history of the prestigious Greater South Bend Women's Metro Golf Tournament played at Elbel and Erskine.
Sweikar shot a two-round total of 152 with back-to-back rounds of 76 to top runner-up and defending champion Delaney Wade for the title in the 99th edition of the annual event. Sweikar totaled seven birdies in her impressive pair of rounds to claim the championship.
More: Trinity Academy, Plymouth win first-ever IHSAA boys golf regional titles
More: Here are the 11 best public golf courses you can play in Indiana in 2026
Wade, a former standout at Penn High School, shot matching rounds of 78 to finish at 156. Kathy Cochrane, who shared the low round of the tournament on Sunday with Lori Horan (each posting a 74) was third Gross and won the Net Division title. Horan finished fourth Gross.
"It felt really exciting, and I'm pretty proud of what I did," said Sweikar on her latest tourney win. "I knew that I could play well and I knew after the first day that I had a good chance. Either way, I just wanted to go out and play well and have fun and be proud of what I did."
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Sweikar will enter the sixth grade this fall at Trinity Academy in South Bend. Her older brothers Dane and Cole helped lead the Trinity boys team to a 10th place finish at the IHSAA state finals June 16-17 at the Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel. Trinity was third at the sectional and won the regional.
Paige began playing golf at around age five, according to her father Michael.
"We were taking her to all of the tournaments her brothers were playing in, and she decided she wanted to try it," said Michael. "She was playing with players older than her, and we saw that she enjoyed it and was good at it too.
"I'm just really proud of her, not just for the golf part of it. She has a lot of fun with it. She works hard at it and wants to get better. I spend a lot of time caddying for her or her brothers and that is what I love. We get to spend a lot of time together and that's what I enjoy."
Sweikar, whose mother is Roxie, has spent time playing on the local Lifestyle golf tour. John Fischer is the tour director and also the men's golf coach at Bethel University.
"I just love to go out and play every day and see improvement," said Paige. "It's built up my confidence to play against older players. It's helped me quite a bit. Sometimes it is a little nerve racking, but in the end, I make sure that I'm having fun.
"Sometimes I'm a little nervous, but John (Fischer) has interviewed me and that helps."
Sweikar, who calls Knollwood Country Club in Granger her home course, also enjoys riding horses at the Heatherwood Equestrian Academy in Granger and playing basketball.
"I think my favorite course may be Prairie View, where my brothers played for state," noted Paige.
"We've built the boys golf program at Trinity this past few years, and it would be really cool in the future if Paige could be part of a Trinity girls team that goes to state," added Michael. "There's definitely moments when she does something on the course with a shot or a putt and it surprises me that she's 11. That's always a lot of fun. But I also really enjoy watching her battle through adversity out there. Watching her overcome the bad shots."
Paige, for her part, is set to play in another Lifestyle tour event later this month. She will also compete in the U.S. Kids Championship July 30-August 1 at the amazing Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.
"I think her ceiling is as high as she wants to keep working for," said Michael. "She was lucky to start playing at such a young age and she has the tools. It's just a lot of work to keep growing your game and still having fun with it."
Lori Horan, who has won the South Bend Women's Metro 24 times, made an impression on Paige. Horan won her first Metro championship as a 16-year-old student at Clay High School as Lori Heiden back in 1979.
"It was just really cool with everything that she has done to get to play in the tournament with Lori," said Paige.
Paige said that her favorite golfer is Nelly Korda. The 27-year-old has been on the LPGA Tour since 2017 and has 24 pro wins, including 19 on the LPGA Tour.
Paige noted that her low rounds are a 30 for nine holes and a 74 for a full round.
"I want to play someday in college and then on the LPGA tour," said Paige. "I know that it's going to take a lot of practice and days on the range, but I believe I can do it."
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Paige Sweikar is already making her mark on area golf courses
Continue reading...
