Ginger Howard - February 24, 2012

• By Morning Drive Team
• Feb 24, 2012 7:38 AM ET

17-year-old Ginger Howard just missed earning LPGA Tour membership at Q-School in 2011 and is a rookie on the Symetra Tour in 2012. She is in town to play in the All Star Celebrity Golf Challenge at Bay Hill. She is really excited to meet Anthony Anderson and Arnold Palmer today. She just won an event on the Suncoast Ladies Series Pro Tour and she loves the competition out there as many of the players are also on the Symetra Tour. The money she earned with her win is mostly going towards travel and entry fee costs but she plans to buy some shoes with some of her money.

The inspiration to play golf came from her father. She and her sister were very young when they were watching their father play golf and they got tired of watching him play and instead wanted to play themselves. She turned pro at the age of 17 which is similar to what Lexi Thompson has done. Lexi Thompson’s and Jessica Korda’s accomplishments have served as inspiration as she pursues a professional career.

Her confidence was boosted when the LPGA Tour allowed her to compete in LPGA Tour Q-School before the age of 18 and she played very well in all three stages. She loves the game and wants to get better and play every single day.

Now that she is a professional golfer, her life is very different now and she has a lot of friends who go to the IMG Academies who think it is very cool that she has a job and is making money. A lot of her friends are looking to go to college and they are also very happy that she is out on the professional tour pursuing her dream.

She is hoping to earn her 2013 LPGA Tour card by finishing in the top 10 on the 2012 Symetra Tour and hopes to become the fifth African-American LPGA Tour Member. Her bracelet says “CBS” which means Confidence Breeds Success.