After Divorce, Judge Limits Daughter’s Golf Prospects

On behalf of The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A.

Many Florida parents support and encourage their children to pursue their passion, whether that pursuit is music, academics, sports, or art. In some rare cases, a child will display a particularly high aptitude for their chosen pursuit, and there is a chance that he or she will develop into a prodigy in that field. Such is the case for a little girl who seems to have a promising golf career ahead of her, but who is caught in the middle of her parent’s divorce and custody battle.

The little girl is 10 years old but has already made a name for herself in the golf circuit. She has won 11 out of the last 12 tournaments she played in and has received coaching from LPGA pro-Kris Tschetter. Experts in the field believe that she already has enough talent to earn a full ride to the college of her choice and could possibly play professionally as an adult.

Her parents have been at odds over her custody for the past seven years. In a recent ruling, the judge ordered that the child not play in any golf tournaments for the next 12 months. She is also limited to no more than one round of golf per week, and cannot train with any golf pro other than her father. That has led to outrage among the golf community and some have complained directly to the PGA Tour Commissioner.

The girl’s father plans to appeal the ruling, but the case could take close to a year to move through that process. In the meantime, the girl will be forced to take a drastic reduction in her practice time and training, which could very well change the trajectory of her path in the sport of golf. The case is an example of the potential outcome when parents in Florida and elsewhere are unable to come to a divorce and child custody agreement on their own and instead rely on the courts to make decisions on their own behalf.

When you need a divorce lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, you can contact us by calling 954-533-2756 for a free consultation.