我姐的女儿叶雷于2019年7月27日勇夺第71届USGA女子青少年锦标赛(U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship)桂冠,为她高尔夫青少年生涯划上完美的句号。今年九月,叶雷便进入美国斯坦福大学(Stanford University)高尔夫校队,参加的是成人比赛(Womens’)。赢得此冠军,叶雷自动获得2020美国女子公开赛(U.S. Women’s Open)资格和2020奧古斯塔女子业余赛(Augusta National Women’s Amateur)资格,登上高尔夫世界巅峰。

Lei Ye holds the trophy after winning on the 36th hole during the final round at the 2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. on Saturday, July 27, 2019. (USGA/Steven Gibbons)
自从得知叶雷杀入第71届全美高尔夫女子青少年业余锦标赛决赛后,我便守在USGA(United States Golf Association,美国高尔夫协会)的官网看比赛分数。此赛事采用比洞赛,即每洞谁的杆数少,谁就赢那一洞,一共36洞后看谁赢得洞数多谁就是冠军。上午的18洞叶雷领先3洞,情势乐观;可下午的18洞比赛并不顺利。叶雷的对手吉莉安·波德奇(Jillian Bourdage)追上了叶雷,此后便开始了“你追我赶”的拉锯战,往往是叶雷领先1洞就被吉莉安追成平手,实在太令人紧张了。上午我还跟在比赛现场的我姐微信聊天,下午我不敢吭声了,怕影响我姐的情绪。倒数第二洞(第35洞)时叶雷又领先1洞,到了最“惊险”的时刻。我是个高尔夫菜鸟,忍不住想如果36洞后打成平手比赛会是怎样,需要再打一局吗?还是看总杆数定输赢? 我还把叶雷和吉莉安前35洞的总杆数算了一下。这个关键时刻我不敢去问我姐,只好偷偷地去网上搜索(答案是:一直加洞到赢为止)。好在叶雷和吉莉安在36洞打出同样杆数,叶雷赢得冠军!
比赛分数一出来,USGA的网站立刻就登出了叶雷的冠军照,手捧奖杯,有胜利女王的范儿。很快比赛集锦(Highlights)的视频也出来了。原来最后1洞真的很“惊险”。对手吉莉安仅剩下一个5英尺的推杆就能抓鸟(Birdie),叶雷要推入一个3英尺的推杆才算成功保帕(par)。而在这时,吉莉安推球偏左,球未能进洞,叶雷则凭借着稳定的发挥,推球入洞,赢了比赛。“虽然最后一推只有3英尺,但这是重大的一推,我自然非常紧张。我在心里告诉自己,这样的推杆你已经练习过成千上万次了,你闭着眼睛都应该推进去!” 叶雷在赛后采访中说:“此赛事有了一个完美的结局。”
USGA青少年锦标赛是美国也是全世界最高级别的青少年女子赛。全世界19岁以下女子球手从41个资格赛区筛选出来,最后156个选手在威斯康星参赛。前两轮比杆赛结束后64个球手晋级进入比洞赛,也就是淘汰赛,真正的过五关斩六将!6天10轮18洞的比赛,除了心理和技术的较量,充沛的体力和清醒的头脑是最后一轮的关键。
叶雷是第十三位获冠军的国际选手,也是首位获得桂冠的中国大陆选手。荣誉的背后是十几年如一日的勤奋练习,家人的支持,和教练/朋友的鼓励。
USGA网站上关于叶雷赢得冠军的赛况报道:
Ye Defeats Bourdage in Thrilling Final at SentryWorld
Seven times in the 36-hole championship match on Saturday, Jillian Bourdage managed to win a hole after losing the previous one to opponent, Lei Ye.
An eighth seemed imminent as the final of the 71st U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship reached the 36th green at SentryWorld. All that stood between Bourdage, 17, of Taramac, Fla., and extra holes was 5 feet.
She stroked what she thought was a perfect putt. But this time, the ball trailed off to the left at the very end, sending Bourdage to her knees in disbelief.
Ye, 18, then stepped up and converted her 3-foot par putt to secure a 1-up victory, becoming the second player from the People’s Republic of China to win a USGA championship.
“This tournament is the ultimate achievement of junior golf, so yeah, it’s been a perfect ending,” said Ye, who played her final junior competition this week.
“That last putt, though it was three feet, I was definitely nervous. It’s a big putt. I just told myself, you’ve practiced this thousands and thousands of times, you could do it in your sleep.”
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牛!
没想到我们家还能出一个世界冠军。这说明只要努力,一切都是有可能的。