Rory McIlroy rarely visits his social media accounts for personal comments, but two of his last four posts are about Maya Palanza Gaudin – a 12-year-old Abu Dhabi resident who made history on Sunday by becoming the first golfer from the region to win the Drive Chip and Putt (DCP) National Final at The Masters.
From McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood to Thomas Pieters and Gary Player, Maya has friends in high places in golf circles, and on Sunday, at the venerable 18th green of Augusta National Golf Club, she let the world know why. The DCP is a premier competition and an integral part of Masters week, attracting the finest junior golfers through its massive talent hunt. Maya not only won her age category – Girls 12-13 – by a massive margin of four shots, but her points tally of 27 was the most for any of the eight categories of competition.
If you think that’s audacious, it almost seems second nature to Maya.
At the age of six, she walked up to Gary Player at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club during the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open, pulled his tee shirt in the middle of a clinic and asked if he was indeed the nine-time major champion. When an intrigued 81-year-old Player wanted to know who told a six-year-old about him, Maya said: “My grandfather. He also told me that Jack Nicklaus was better than you.”
One year later, Maya won a Skills Challenge of HSBC Future Falcons. Her prize? Hitting a shot with McIlroy on the par-3 15th hole during actual competition play at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in front of international TV camera crews and an audience of millions. Not only did she nail her shot, but she also forged a friendship for life with the four-time major champion.
For someone who had to fight hard to stay alive as a new-born in a remote Ethiopian village, staring down and interacting with legends comes easy to Maya.
Her biological mother died soon after giving birth to Maya. Her biological father, realising little Maya wouldn’t survive without special care, walked 90km to a clinic so the little girl could get the food and treatment she desperately needed. A few months later, she was adopted by FBI agent Stephen Gaudin and his wife Cassandra.
Gaudin, who hails from Cape Cod near Boston, moved to Abu Dhabi in 2012 as Chief of FBI in the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
“I did not play golf back then. One day, I saw this crazy offer to learn the game in seven days for AED200 at Yas Links. I would have lessons with Craeg Deery and Maya would just have fun with some clubs," said Gaudin, now retired but working as a security and law enforcement consultant with the UAE government.
"Craeg saw her hitting balls one day and told me with a straight face: ‘You are better spending your money on her!’.”
Maya now trains at Jebel Ali Golf Resort with former Tour pro Yasin Ali, the only person the family called after their tiring day-long engagement at Augusta National Golf Club.
The UAE has played a huge role in her development as a golfer, and Maya never forgets to mention that.
“I don’t think I would be half the golfer that I am if I did not live in Abu Dhabi," she said. "I would never have had the opportunity to meet such inspirational people like Rory and Gary Player."
Stephen couldn't agree more with his daughter. “Abu Dhabi has been such an integral part of our life. It’s our home, and also our home away from home," he said. "From the days of being part of HSBC Future Falcons, to the support she has received from Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Golf Federation, we really can’t be more thankful. We have just got our UAE Golden Visas, and we are not moving anywhere soon.”
Despite being armed with cutting-edge knowledge about the 18th green from the likes of McIlroy and Fleetwood, Maya said she was incredibly nervous before the DCP, for which she qualified after winning the Northeast Regional Finals at TPC Boston.
“I have been working for this day ever since. Coach Yasin made it so much fun. He would give me golf homework, and we’d work on each part of our game," Maya said. "I felt prepared, but on Sunday morning, I was so nervous. I did not have butterflies in my stomach, I had dragons clawing at my guts!”
“Dad found a great way to help me relax. He quizzed me on Harry Potter and Marvel throughout our way to Augusta National," added Maya, a huge fan of Iron Man and Black Widow. "To be honest, he was pretty bad at that, but it helped me feel much better.”
One thing is for sure ... the golfing world should get ready for its new Superhero: Mighty Maya, here she comes.
