Talley fell in love with golf, ragged clubs and all

~ The 13-year old shot a 75 to move into a tie for second place.

Four years ago, when Dan Talley took his two children, Jackson and Emma, to play a few holes at the Princeton Golf and Country Club near his home in Princeton, Ky., his main focus was to get his son more involved in the game of golf.

Although his family lived right next to the 16th hole, Dan was not a golfer, but he had hopes for 13-year-old Jackson, who had taken a few lessons. Nine-year-old Emma, equipped with a rag-tag set of clubs that once belonged to her grandmother, was playing her first holes of golf and was more along for the ride.

"My brother was going to play and he didn't like it, and I just started playing," Emma said.

It's now 2007, and Jackson is playing the violin and piano.

Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky., tossed her ball on the green as she practiced her putting.

Emma, well, she was among the leaders Tuesday after the second round of the AJGA Dalhousie Junior Championship.

The 13-year-old, who lives about 45 minutes east of Paducah, Ky., shot a 3-over-par 75 to gain a share of second place with first-round leader Courtney Harter, who also had a 152 total after a second-round 79.

Stephanie Wagstaff of Asheville, N.C., who began the day three strokes behind Harter and was her closest pursuer entering the day, shot a 74 to lead the 36-girl field.

Talley, who will enter the eighth grade this year at Caldwell Middle School, was holding her own while paired against two of the field's more experienced and elite players -- Harter and Katie Sylvan. Harter traveled from Clearwater, Fla., and will attend the University of Alabama on a golf scholarship. Sylvan, who will be a high school junior in San Diego, Calif., shot a tournament-low 72 on Tuesday to move into contention, three shots off the lead.

At 5-foot-7, Talley stands as tall as most of her competition. She's come a long way in four years, overcoming some built-in obstacles.

"My grandmother had old, old clubs," Talley said. "I had to choke all the way down to the metal and try to hit it. I wasn't very good, but I liked it."

The family, which practically lives on a course, has seemed to have an aversion to the game. Emma's mom, Jennifer, played tennis. Neither parent was a golfer.

Even her grandmother avoided the game.

"Somebody gave her the clubs, but she never played," Emma said with a laugh. "Isn't that weird?"

Emma quickly proved to be a black sheep with talent. Her favorite hangout turned into the country club and members took note.

"Some of the older men on our course would see her play, and one of them said, 'You know, she needs to go see a good friend of mine [Todd Trimable] in Paducah, a golf pro. He saw her and he thought she had a real natural swing and stuck with him."

Her progress has been meteoric.

One of only two players on the high school golf team, Emma has qualified for the Kentucky high school state tournament three years straight, finishing third this past year at the age of 12.

She's also been invited to practice with the high school basketball team.

"They wanted me to play varsity, but I didn't want to do that," Emma said.

That athleticism isn't lost on the people she's been around the last couple of days.

"She's a really good player," Harter said. "A lot of raw talent. She's just going to get better year by year. She's really athletic. If she's off, she can still get it around."

Sylvan's father, Paul, has seen a lot of junior golf the last few years and has gotten an eyeful the past two days.

"She's going to be star," Paul Sylvan said. "We see, particularly in California, a lot of really good girls, but she's really outstanding. And she will get better as she gets older. She's really a very, very solid player. Every part of her game."

Talley played in one AJGA event last year, finishing third, and is playing in her third event this year. Her best competitive round is a 69. The golf exploits have been an eye-opener for everyone, including her mother.

"It's been real unbelievable, just exciting, for her to be able to play and compete with girls so good," Jennifer Talley said.

And the environment provides an ideal setting for growth.

"They're such good role models, and she can see how they react to bad shots, good shots or whatever," Jennifer Talley said.