Local golf phenomenon Hanna Atkins of Estrella has done it again. She won the 1st Tee of Phoenix “Masters Tournament” at the Aguila Golf Course on April 24th, 2010. It is something special to win a Masters Event and even more special when you are only 12 years old! The field consisted of competitors ranging from 11 to 17 years of age. This gives Hanna another 5 years to improve and win it several more years before going to college. 

Her total score for the nine hole Masters event was 29. The round consisted of some incredible golf shots, including two birdies, a respectable finish for a 12 year old local girl. She even tied for 1st place with the boys that ranged from 11 to 17 years old. She was presented the traditional green apparel, just like the Masters Tournament in Augusta.

When asked about the tournament Hanna said, “The whole day I had my game face on and knew what I had to do”.  This focus is what made the difference and continually places the local Estrella girl in the top finishers in golf. Recent wins and awards continue to pile up and her MVP award is just one of many. The 2nd place finish in the Jr. LPGA event at the Ken McDonald Tournament in Tempe recently is just another in a long list of top three finishes.

Local pride is not just placed in her golf achievements. Hanna is an Honor Role Student and is also a member of her Student Council at the Westar Elementary School in Estrella. This along with her local triathlon win in Estrella, makes her a stand out student athlete and someone we can look forward to seeing far into the future.

Hanna volunteers her services to the community and has been awarded several unique opportunities for her efforts. Recently she was given the opportunity to be a guest caddy for the Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinal Foot Ball Team. She proudly carried a very large bag for Ken Wizenhunt at the 16th hole at the Phoenix Pro Am  Waste Management. If that wasn’t enough, another PGA golf celebrity, Camillo Villegas, had Hanna as his caddy at the same event.

When asked about his daughter, Hanna’s father said, “Hanna is not only a natural athlete that is very good at everything she does, she is a very kind and happy kid that just loves to laugh and have fun.” He smiled and said, “It is her dedication and focus that makes her something special”.

It is very apparent that Hanna is something special and she competes in over 20 golf tournaments a year. She competes in multiple golf events and her proud Mother stated, “I take pride being called Hanna’s Mom”.  If you have not heard of Hanna by now, you will most likely hear about her in the future. 

Future plans are to continue in her pursuit of a golf scholarship and ready herself for the World Qualifier later this summer. Her golf coach Paul Smith said, “Hanna has lots of natural talent,” and expects her to only get better.