It’s not clear who said it first, but whoever did clearly never walked with Charlotte Berlau. The six-year-old from Houston traversed the grounds of Colonial Country Club in a way few other kids get to experience.
“This is really happening right now,” Charlotte’s father, Logan, said in disbelief. “My daughter is hopping over rocks, walking right behind Scottie.”
Yes, that Scottie.
Scottie Scheffler, a few days removed from his PGA Championship victory to claim his third major, returned to DFW to compete in the annual PGA Tour event in Fort Worth. While it was a short drive for the Dallas native, it has been a long journey for Charlotte.
Born with congenital heart disease, Charlotte has had seven open heart surgeries and relies on a pacemaker.
“The left side of her heart was not developing the way it should,” said Lacey Berlau, Charlotte’s mother. “It’ll never be 100% developed the right way.”
While a scar protects Charlotte’s heart, she is also protected by her older brother, Grant.
“She’ll get a little bit self-conscious when you can see her scar and someone says something and he’s the first to defend her,” Lacey said.
While Charlotte loves Disney princesses and jazz dance, she also has a passion for golf.
“We call her the beverage cart girl because she’s always up for a ride around the golf course,” Lacey joked.
When Lacey and Logan learned of the nonprofit A Wish with Wings — a Fort Worth organization that grants wishes for Texas children battling life-threatening conditions — they knew exactly what Charlotte’s wish would be: to meet her favorite golfer, Scottie Scheffler.
During Wednesday’s Pro Am of the Charles Schwab Challenge, Scheffler granted her wish with high fives and small talk.
But, the day was not over—not by a long shot.
As a surprise, Scheffler invited Charlotte and Grant inside the ropes to walk alongside him for the final few holes of the Pro Am.
“For us as parents, he’s just genuine and down to earth,” Lacey said of Scheffler. “From what I’ve heard, what you see on TV is what you get – just a good old Texas boy.”
They chatted about their favorite ice creams, what sports they play and how many teeth Charlotte has lost.
“She said she’s a jazz dancer,” Scheffler recalled, after the outing. “I was trying to get her to teach me a couple of moves out there. She wouldn’t quite budge, though.”
Scheffler, who has a one-year-old son, put the experience into perspective, “When you get to meet people like that and girls like Charlotte, she’s such a bright spirit. She was a lot of fun to walk around with… It was good to be able to treat them to a few holes out there. And I love being able to walk around and keep things loose with the kiddos.”
For Charlotte and her family, it was a day free of doctor visits. No checkups. No tests. It was an unencumbered moment. Happiness and joy. A memory to last a lifetime.
