RABAT, MOROCCO - Every now and then a young athlete will do the seemingly impossible and prove themselves worthy of facing off against some of the best professionals their sport has to offer. Especially in the game of golf, where a player relies not just on their skill and strength but also their experience and knowledge within the game, these budding stars are able to capture the attention of the sporting world with their immaculate performances. Teenagers have a rich history of success in women’s golf with the likes of Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, and Lexi Thompson all achieving incredible success while still in their teenage years, and it may soon be time to add another name to that list.
This past weekend Sofia Cherif Essakali, a Moroccan native who now resides in Orlando, Florida, made her first professional start on the Ladies European Tour (LET) at the Lalla Meryem Cup. The three-day, 54-hole event, played on the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Blue Course in Rabat, Morocco, was the second installment of the LET in 2023 and featured 96 players, including five amateurs, competing on the par-73, 6,333-yard layout. With a rich past of champions that includes LPGA Tour mainstays Charley Hull (2014) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2013), the Lalla Meryem Cup has proven to be a quality test of golf throughout its history, with this year being no exception. At just 13 years old, Essakali finished with a cumulative score of 8-over par, 227 for the tournament and a tie for 49th place finish.
Playing in her first professional event with a layout that was setup much longer than she is used to, the Moroccan native had a masterful start to the tournament, carding a round of 1-over 74. With this performance, Essakali found herself in a tie for 21st and claimed the spot of low-amateur and leading Moroccan through 18 holes, setting herself up well for the opportunity to make the cut.
After a second round in which she shot a 6-over 79, Essakali reached new heights by becoming the youngest player to make the cut in the event’s 20-year history, and one of the youngest players to make the cut in any event on the LET. In an interview with the LET after her round, Essakali stated, “I still haven’t had a chance to take it all in. I finished late on Friday so I didn’t really think about it too much. I also had to do homework, so I didn’t really think about my game! But I’m so happy that I was able to make the cut in this event.” By making the cut, Essakali provided the fans supporting her in her home country another chance to watch the young star play. When asked by the LET about the effect of the crowds, which were arguably the largest following any player in Rabat, the Moroccan native noted, “It was my first time having a big crowd watching me, so I was a little nervous but I still managed to deal with it for the most part. So overall I’m very proud of myself.”
Then, in the final round, Essakali proved she belonged by firing off another round at 1-over 74 thanks in large part to three birdies and consistent play throughout the day. Her T49 finish was good enough to maintain the title of low-amateur for the event, and she was just one shot behind leading Moroccans Ines Laklalech and Maha Haddioui. “I really enjoyed playing this week,” she said afterwards. “I had such a great time and had a lot of fun with my caddie. All the players were so nice to me so it was really cool. … I’ve loved having so much support and I would like to thank everyone who came out and supported me out there.”
Even prior to her amazing weekend in Rabat, Essakali has been no stranger to success, dominating the competition in her home state of Florida on the Florida Junior Tour. In her 13 starts on the FJT, the 13-year-old has compiled three tournament victories and seven additional second-place finishes. In 2021, Essakali captured her first Florida state championship at the 11-12 FSGA Futures Championship. Later that year, Essakali would find herself at the top of the points list for 11 to 12 year-old girls, cementing her status as one of Florida’s rising stars in the game of golf. Then, in 2022, the Orlando resident would move up an age division to compete with other girls aged 13 to 15 and continued her success, finishing the year at 10th on the 13 to 15 year-old girls points list.
Sofia’s amateur schedule for 2023 is already packed with high-quality tournaments and challenging courses as she makes her debut at many Florida state championships (Women’s Amateur, Girls’ Junior, Women’s Amateur Stroke Play, Junior Amateur Match Play). Essakali has also been recognized as a member of Team Florida, one of the highest honors given to junior golfers in the state of Florida, for the second time. Team Florida is an awards program that identifies the top 40 junior golfers from around the state of Florida and acknowledges players who have not only demonstrated exceptional playing ability in local, state and national tournaments, but also display great sportsmanship and etiquette among their competitors.
