Q&A with Fischer Leggitt
Q & A with RGA player Fischer Leggitt and RGA coach Josh Apple
Fischer Leggitt is a junior at Briar Woods High School, currently holds a +1.7 handicap, and has had a 2023 season highlighted by qualifying for the MAPGA Capital Cup and the VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship.
Q: How long have you been playing golf?
A: I’ve been playing the game for about eight years but I started seriously practicing and getting into lessons about 2 ½ to three years ago. Ever since I started taking it seriously my game has really taken off.
Q: When did you start playing in tournaments?
A: I started playing tournament golf when I was 14, playing in US Kids and MAPGA events.
Q: What has been your experience with the Raspberry Golf Academy?
A: When I was little I worked with Sang (Hwang) doing his group programs, so I’ve been around RGA for a while. But I took a break for a bit and then came back to work with RGA.
Q: How has your game leveled up this year?
A: My game took a really big jump in the middle of the summer. I went from shooting in the 80s consistently in tournaments to the mid 70s and then I shot my low of 71 at the Capital Cup Qualifier. I just kept getting better, and then I shot a 69 in the VSGA Junior Stroke Play Qualifier and 69 in other high school tournaments.
Q: What are you most proud of from this year?
A: The biggest for me was the Capital Cup Qualifier. And then the Virginia team won the Capital Cup and I won two of my matches, so that was big. Of course qualifying for the VSGA Stroke Play. And I had another tournament at the Naval Academy, the Billy Hurley, which I placed ninth, that was big too.
Q: To what do you attribute the success?
A: Overall I started working harder as I got more into the game, and I got more out of my game obviously. And then working with RGA on gaining distance and building my swing to my body to have distance and control at the same time, and then also learning to play my shot whether it’s a draw or a fade.
Q: You have the O Personality type, what does that mean to you?
A: O Mode for me is not over-thinking and playing within myself. When I get to a shot, I get the information I need but after that my mind goes blank other than focusing on where I want the ball to finish. When I am in between shots, don’t think about the last shot and just move on.
Q: What are you proud of mentally?
A: I’m proud of committing to it. Sometimes it gets hard and you want to quit, but you have to stick to it and eventually you get back up. You have those ebbs and flows, but I’ve gotten back up.
Q: What are you currently working on?
A: Right now I’m working on building my core and stability so I don’t dip down in my swing as much.
Q: Anything from lessons with Sang you still use today?
A: I still use my routine, my routine has been huge for me.
Q: Do you have a background in any other sports?
A: I played baseball my whole life up until freshman year of high school and I’ve played rec basketball for fun.
Q: Do you have a short-term goal and a long-term goal?
A: Short term over this winter I want to place top-20 or even top-10 at the Donald Ross in Pinehurst. Long term I want to play at an elite Division I school.
Q: Why should someone go to the Raspberry Golf Academy?
A: Go to Raspberry because there are coaches who fit what they do to your type of play and your personality. Also there’s a lot of good players around that you can learn from, you want to learn from people who are better than you because that makes you better.