By Amy Schrei, Director of Communications and Marketing
At Tower Hill, Ellie Sun is one of 73 students entering fifth grade this fall. But on the golf course, she is number seven out of 30,000!
In April, she was one of 10, 7-9 year old girls in the nation to qualify for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National, the home of The Masters. And in August, she competed in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in North Carolina, which welcomed players from over 50 countries and 47 U.S. states. In the Girls 9 age group, Ellie finished 14th out of 110 qualified players, with a total score of 1-over par across three rounds. Ellie describes, “We’re the only family from Delaware, so we hold up a sign.”
Ellie’s golf journey began when she was six years old. “We drove past DuPont Country Club, saw kids playing golf, and I wanted to try,” she says. That spark quickly turned into a passion, and she has been competing ever since. Her parents, Hao and Sibo, are incredibly supportive, and her father is by her side every step, serving as her caddy. Ellie also enjoys playing with her grandfather, and her mom recently picked up clubs.
To qualify for Augusta, Ellie progressed through three competitive stages: local, subregional, and regional. “You have to place in the top three at local, then top two at subregional. And if you win regionals, you go to nationals,” she explains.
At the regional event, Ellie earned her spot among just 10 finalists, ultimately placing seventh in the nation. “It was really exciting. They interview you right away and give you a medal, gear and a sign that says, ‘Next stop, Augusta.’”
The Drive, Chip and Putt competition breaks down golf into its core elements. Ellie’s favorite is putting. “There’s no right or wrong. You can change how you aim or close the clubface—it’s really fun to practice.”
But her achievements don’t stop in Augusta. Ellie also placed third in the Under Armour World Championship in Florida and recently shot a 29 at the New York State Invitational—an astonishing seven under par. “I was close to breaking the record, which is 28,” she shared. “I had two eagles and three birdies in one round.”
Behind every swing is a strong mental game, something Ellie continues to work on. “My coach says you can be mad for 30 seconds, then you forget about it. Tiger Woods says after 10 steps, forget what happened on the last hole—even if it was good.” It’s this mindset that helps Ellie stay focused and confident.
At Tower Hill, Ellie brings that same positive attitude to the classroom. “I love that all the teachers and students are really nice,” she said. Her favorite subject is P.E., and she also enjoys math, reading, music and theater. A highlight from fourth grade was reading the book, The War that Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, which was filled with encouraging words. Ellie was inspired by the quote, “If you fall down seven times, you stand up eight.” She is excited to start Middle School. Her fourth grade teacher and Interim Head of Middle School, Melinda Martin, commented, “Whether it’s tackling fractions, sharing her musical talents, lending a listening ear to a friend or offering insight in literary discussions, Ellie brings her whole self, day in and day out.”
Outside of golf, Ellie is a multi talented athlete and artist. She enjoys skiing, swimming, tennis, ballet and singing. She’s even writing a book about golf, “because not a lot of people my age know about it,” and she recently wrote a song about golf, with music created by AI, which can be found on her Instagram page @elliesun_golf.
Tower Hill’s strong community has positively impacted Ellie’s golf career. She has befriended Avery McCrery, daughter of lower grades librarian Mrs. McCrery, who is a world ranked amateur golfer. Ellie happily shared that she has played with Avery at Wilmington Country Club and has run into her at various tournaments. Along with Mrs. McCrery, Ellie received positive encouragement from her fourth grade teacher Ms. Martin and lots of emails from Coach Franklin.
When asked what advice she’d give other kids who want to try golf, Ellie said, “Golf is fun. You have to make it fun. It’s not supposed to be stressful. You can play with others, or together as a team.”
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