Amelia Mehmet Grohn hopes some home-ground knowledge will help her quest for glory at next week’s $400,000 Australian Women’s Classic.
The Coffs Harbour local who has dreamt of playing professional golf like her idol Annika Sorenstam will get her chance in front of a small army of adoring friends and family when she tees it up against the stars of the Ladies European Tour (LET) at the famed Bonville Golf Resort next week.
“I always wanted to be like Annika one day. I read about her a lot. I’ve watched all the videos about her wins, and how she went about her game, I’m one step closer now,” Mehmet Grohn smiled.
Mehmet-Grohn’s journey through the sport has already taken her far and wide. After taking the game up seriously at the tender age of 12, Grohn had her share of wins in the junior ranks before accepting a golfing Scholarship at Iowa State University in 2016.
She graduated in 2021 with a Degree in Criminal Justice to her name and a pretty envious playing record to boot.
“I never missed a tournament while in College,” she added. “I have the record for the most amount of rounds played while I was there.”
In addition to her impressive college resume, Mehmet Grohn also represented Australia at the 2019 Astor trophy, and the same year, she qualified for the US Women’s Amateur.
After returning home in late 2021, the 24-year-old wasted no time turning professional. She turned a few heads when finishing an impressive 4th against the men in February’s $50,000 North Coast Open at the nearby Coffs Harbour Golf Club.
Next week, however, will be a different challenge against some well-credentialed European opponents; however, it’s an assignment she is well prepared for.
“I have high expectations to play well at Bonville because it’s somewhat of a home course.
“I’ve played here a fair amount; I used to work here during my college holidays, so I’ve got to know a lot about the course. I think I have an advantage.
“The course is in great condition, and I simply want to put what I’ve been practising into play.
“With excellent course management, it’s very scorable,” she smiled.