Céleste Dao, Golfer: The Girl Who Could Swing

At just three years old, Céleste Dao was already hitting balls in her family’s garage. Nearby, her father Duc watched her closely, unaware that one day, his daughter would rise to the top of Quebec’s golf hopefuls. A passionate golfer himself, Duc Dao eagerly taught her everything he knew—not just about golf, but also about life.

Whether or not Céleste likes apples, one thing is certain: she loves golf. She lives for it. With 51 weeks a year spent hitting balls, refining her swing, and competing across Canada and the U.S., the 15-year-old currently holds the title of top female golfer in Quebec under 18, and ranks fourth in Canada overall. Her name is now regularly heard through loudspeakers at the most prestigious golf courses on both sides of the border: “From Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Céleste Dao.”

The Birth of a Champion

Born in the U.S. to a Quebecois mother and a Vietnamese father who met at Cité-des-Jeunes high school, Céleste competed in her first mixed tournament at age eight, finishing second. She became a full member of Summerlea Golf Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion that same year, and she still trains there from the spring thaw to the first snowfall.

While she dabbled in team sports early on, her motivation truly came alive in competition.

“At first, it was frustrating,” she admits. “At eight years old, you don’t have patience. It felt like it took forever.”

Her father remembers watching her take her first swings—small and reserved but determined:

“At nine, she was carrying all her clubs and using a GPS to calculate distances. The golf bag was taller than she was. You could barely see her eyes!”

A defining moment came during a family trip to North Carolina, where she saw student-athletes training on a college campus.

“She asked me what they were doing,” recalls Duc Dao. “When I explained, she said, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to go to school and play sports.’”

Céleste now attends the sports-study program at Chêne-Bleu high school, where she works with her personal coach Daniel Santerre and trains with kinesiologist Michael Gagné at the Centre Multisports or a golf dome in Kirkland.

“There’s no wasted time,” she says of the program. “It’s really motivating, and the teachers are always there for you.”

Toward the LPGA

Céleste Dao’s excellence has caught the attention of players, coaches, and U.S. universities. Her fourth-place national ranking and her debut at age 13 in the Canadian Championship—competing against 18-year-olds—cemented her reputation.

Last summer, she played in the U.S. Girls’ Championship in New Jersey—the junior equivalent of the U.S. Open—where she proudly represented Quebec as the only entrant from the province.

“I wasn’t nervous,” she says. “My dad didn’t tell me too much. I just had fun. I had my own locker, a caddy, and my name on a shirt!”

She was even considered for Canada’s national team, but she and her family declined the invitation.

“We believe in our own winning formula,” says her father. “If I saw her plateauing, I’d say it’s time for the next step.”

With flawless technique and steady progress, Céleste continues to climb—and the LPGA may be closer than ever.

The Power of Family

Despite the endless hours in extreme heat or frigid temperatures, Céleste’s progress wouldn’t be possible without her family’s support:

“In the summer, our pool goes green,” Duc Dao says. “We don’t take couple vacations. We’ve sacrificed everything to help her reach the top. If parents aren’t 100% committed, it’s hard for an athlete to make it. That’s the foundation.”

Now, all that’s left to wish her is health. And maybe a crisp, sweet apple.