CINCINNATI — The LPGA Queen City Championship began Thursday, bringing the best in women’s golf to southwest Ohio. Among the competitors is a young teenager who is not only eager to showcase her talent in her home state, but also to have her father by her side as her caddy.
Gianna Clemente is a teen golfing phenom. The junior in high school knows this isn’t what most girls her age are doing.
“When I meet someone my age that doesn’t know who I am or doesn’t know anything about golf, it’s definitely probably seems a little crazy to them,” Clemente said. “And that’s OK. I’ve definitely taken it a different kind of approach, and I’ve taken a different path with my life, which I love.”
She’s embracing the moments, thanks to her dad keeping her in check. Patrick Clemente said Gianna was practically raised on the course and she took to the sport quickly.
“She qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur at 11,” Patrick said. “And I just saw a different kind of gear. Not that she was ready to compete with them, but a different fire that I didn’t expect from an 11-year-old.”
The two are rarely without each other on the course, with Patrick as her caddy.
“He’s just kind of like my best friend,” Gianna said. “I mean, we do everything together.”
“I’ll do it as long as the kid lets me,” Patrick said.
But what’s the dynamic on the course? The two say they try to keep father and daughter out of it.
“My dad does a really good job of separating,” she said. “There are definitely moments where he switches back into dad mode. If I cuss on the course or something like that, he’ll definitely,he’ll pick at me a little. But for the most part, he does a really good job of separating everything.”
“We do try to isolate the daughter dad stuff as much as we can, but as soon as we’re back in the car, in the house, it comes out in a hurry,” he said.
While Patrick focuses on his caddy duties on the course, this tournament is extra special for the family. The Clemente’s are from the Youngstown area and fans in Ohio tend to gravitate toward the teen golfer.
“I can remember her saying, wow, these people, everybody knows who I am,” Patrick said of the Queen City Championship in 2022. “We love being back here always. Born and raised in Ohio, she lives and dies by those Midwest roots football fan and a sports fan, but loves being here.”
But playing in an LPGA tournament isn’t lost on her or her dad- it’s a moment they will embrace together.
“Just enjoying every second of it,” Gianna said. “Just soaking everything in and again, being able to test my game with the pros is so special.”
“Seeing her enjoy that as a dad, or as a parent, that’s the real thing you take pride in,” Patrick said. “For sure that she’s having fun doing what she loves.”
The Queen City Championship begins on Thursday and goes through the weekend at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, just north of Cincinnati.