b'He just took us along and let me andtraveling hundreds (if not thousands) offlight away, echoed Abigails positive my brother play as much as we wanted,miles. Antes opportunity in St. Louisawords, and referred to his own Jack said. We got addicted. city some 3,700 miles from Anchorageadjustment as easy.Both players trophy cases filled was made possible by coach TroyIve made great, lifelong friends up quickly as their junior careersHalterman, who connected with her afteron this golf team, Carr said. Its been progressed. Abby won the 2020 Alaskaa tournament in Las Vegas, Abbys first ofnothing but a blast, and the coaches are Amateur Match Play and 2021 Anchorageany kind outside Alaska. very supportive.Open, to go with a pair of runner-upTraveling to St. Louis in August 2023,The special meaning of both players finishes in the Alaska Womens AmateurAbby admitted Missouris humid andAlaska background isnt lost on them Championship. Jack took home thenot-so-chilly summer weather took someeither. Emotionally or strategically, small Alaska Mens Amateur title in 2022 beforegetting used to. pieces of their home state factor into his Bearcat career. It was such a huge change, she said.their lives today.When the time came to think aboutI remember the first practice, it was like college sports, Abby, who will tell you she100 degrees, and the humidity was all played every sport growing up, admittedthe way up. I got sunburned. Everyone her decision to pursue golf at that levelwas checking in on me, like Alaska, you was viewed as bold by her parents. all right?It was definitely a hard decision,Two years into being shown the Abby said. Growing up in Alaska, golf isShow-Me state, having seen a country not the sport where you think, Oh, I wantclub for the first time and caddying for to play that. baseball Hall-of-Famer and St. Louis To that end, the resources availableCardinals great Ozzie Smith during a to fledgling players do seem one-of-a- fundraising event, Abby could hardly be kind. During the roughly nine monthshappier.of a given year when local courses areI think I could see myself living inundated with snow, much of Abbythere, she said happily. Just the amount and Jacks practice work came at the Foxof friends Ive made and the connections Hollow Sports Dome, a classic inflatableIve made, its just so great down there. I facility measuring only about 75 yards,really love it.shorter than most golf shots. Jack, located in Salem, Ore., muchJack Carr (right) won the 2022 I have a couple nets in my garage,closer to Anchorage and just a directAlaska Mens Amateur. Abby said about her off-season practice. My dad tried to get a simulator for the garage from eBay or something. The greens here are not great until probably the end of July. Its definitely hard, but its something I managed.Having a grandmother in California, Jack took advantage of visits there to improve his game. The dome began to serve him well during the early COVID-era days, when he arrived daily at noon to swing away, often while Abby was also there. I started to really see a jump in my game; I started to see results, Carr said. I started to think, Wow, Im making good progress.For both players, an inescapableAntes two Alaska state titles and runner-up finishes in two Alaska Womens Amateurs caught reality was that traveling away fromthe eye of the University of Missouri-St. Louis golf program. She is in the front row, middle, with Alaska to most other U.S. states requiredher college team. SEPT 2025|PACIFIC NORTHWEST GOLFER23'