LIKE a lot of children of the past two decades, Tania Tare discovered golf by watching Tiger Woods. Just not in the way you’d think.
The 28-year-old New Zealander wasn’t watching when Woods claimed the last three Majors of 2000, nor waiting with baited breath as he completed the ‘Tiger Slam’ at the 2001 Masters. She didn’t jump off the couch when he famously holed that downhill, double-breaking monster putt on the par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass during his Players Championship victory that year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qtWNpXN8JI
In fact, Tare had no interest in watching tournament golf, nor playing a sport she thought was only for old men. But Woods’ iconic 1999 golf-ball-juggling commercial for Nike changed her life.
“Honestly, the first time I ever touched a golf club was because of the Nike commercial where Tiger juggles the ball between his legs,” Tare tells Australian Golf Digest.
The commercial is simply Woods bouncing a golf ball with a wedge for 28 seconds – between his legs, behind his back, fast, slow – before it climaxes with him hitting the ball out of mid-air down the range like a baseball player smacking a home run.
Yet Tare credits it with inspiring her to give up a promising junior tennis career in Auckland to instead take up golf.
“I didn’t hit a golf ball until the age of 14. I used to play tennis but I went through a burnout with tennis when I was 13,” Tare says. “I legitimately thought golf was for old men, but the commercial was so cool I tried it out myself. I could juggle a ball before I could hit a golf ball.”
Social Media Stardom
Fast forward 14 years and Tania Tare is a professional golfer whose trick-shot artistry has gathered a 73,000-strong following on Instagram.
Tare uploads mind-boggling videos of her juggling golf balls – flipping clubs while the ball is in the air, landing the ball in red American beer cups, incorporating soccer-style juggling with her feet – much to the delight of her fans. And like Woods, who started juggling golf balls on the face of his clubs while waiting on the tee during junior tournaments, Tare’s social-media stardom was born out of boredom.
Having graduated from Florida International University in 2013, she was forced to take a break from golf to have surgery on both her wrists. In the recovery period, trick shots were all she could do.
“There was a video going around on my Facebook network of a guy doing trick shots, and my friends and family kept tagging me in it, asking if I could do the same because they knew I could juggle,” Tare says. “So I filmed myself trying to replicate that video, and after uploading it just exploded. So I filmed three more and it just grew from there. It’s been pretty incredible to see that passion of my life just explode on Instagram.”
I legitimately thought golf was for old men, but Tiger’s Nike commercial was so cool I tried it out myself. I could juggle a ball before I could hit a golf ball – Tania Tare
No One-Trick Pony
There’s a far more serious side to California-based Tare. And it’s evident on her Instagram feed. Nestled in between the videos of trick shots is Tare practising and playing at various driving ranges and courses with a picture-perfect swing.
Perfectly on plane, well-balanced and topped off with beautiful rhythm, she credits former coach Zaine Mikkelson with building her action using textbook fundamentals.
“The first time I went to a driving range, Zaine was in the bay next to me,” Tare says. “He’s the reason I started playing and practising. He’s a great swing coach and because I started improving so quickly, golf became addictive and I just wanted to keep getting better and better.”
Although trick shots introduced her to the game, dreams of being a tour player inspired her to stay.
“I’ve always wanted to be a pro. The trick shots are a hobby. I played college golf to prepare myself for the professional ranks but since I’ve graduated, I’ve had three wrist injuries. They have set me back but now they’re just a part of me. The trick shots have opened up a lot of doors, but the end goal is always to play on the LPGA Tour. I’ll just be an older age than most.”
Tare put her dream to the test at the end of August at the first stage of LPGA Tour qualifying school in the US, but failed to advance. Later, Tare headed home in late September for the New Zealand Women’s Open, where she missed the cut at Windross Farm in Auckland. Although Tare’s second appearance in her national championship didn’t go as planned, she was excited to play in a field featuring homegrown hero and former world No.1 Lydia Ko, among other stars.
“A start in the New Zealand Open for my LPGA Tour debut was an amazing opportunity for me,” Tare said. “Now I have a bunch of state opens and smaller events so I’ve got some busy prep coming up.”
