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LEHI — Aadyn Long didn't have to dream too hard of one day playing golf at the Masters. She got to watch her older sister Berlin do it last year when the pre-teen qualified for the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals at Augusta National.
Now, it's her turn.
The 9-year-old sister qualified for the national event's final round Sunday in Augusta, Georgia, along with close friend and neighbor Cooper Jones, two players from Alpine Country Club.
Aadyn competed in the finals of the girls 7-9 division of the national competition this week — a prediction she made one year ago on KSL Sports. The 11-year-old Cooper competed in the 11-13 classification.
After Berlin qualified for the competition in 2015, young Aadyn wasn't shy about proclaiming her goal to make it to the same place as her big sister.
"Next year, I hope I'll get to do what she gets to do," Aadyn said at the time.
Fast forward one year later, and Aadyn was ready to embark on her own adventure at one of the PGA's most legendary courses.
"I'm pretty excited, because I know what to do," Aadyn said. "I saw Berlin do it last year, so it's a really cool experience.
"She said to just have fun."
Berlin beamed as she watched her sister carry on what could now be called a family tradition.
"I told her to have fun and soak it all in," Berlin added. "It'll be over before you know it. Be confident, because she's already done it before and she can do it before."
Courtney Long, Berlin and Aadyn's mother, thought the trip would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But that doesn't make Aadyn's chance any less special.
"The fact that we get to go twice is pretty exciting," she said.
Added father Rob: "For Aadyn, her biggest motivator is probably to just do this interview," he joked. "She was pretty excited."
Aadyn was also excited to go with close family friend Cooper Jones, who qualified in the boys' 10-11 division.
The 11-year-old Cooper donated an old set of clubs to Aadyn, getting the girl hooked on the game — and forging a bond of friendship, and occasional good-natured rivalry, between the two.
"We play some putting contests sometimes at Alpine," Cooper said, downplaying the competitive nature of their friendly rounds. "We usually switch off (who wins)."
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Even Cooper realizes how cool of a chance it is to golf at Augusta National, too.
"It's probably a once in a lifetime chance for me to go and hit putts and shots on Augusta," he said. "It's going to be fun."
The Jones and Long families are filled with avid golfers, making the trip shared by three of their children that much better.
"We're excited to take the family out and see it," said Clark Jones, Cooper's dad. "I've never been to the golf course, so it'll be a first time for all of us."
