BRITNEY Mueck is quite likely the envy of frustrated golfers everywhere.The tall, laid-back teenager from Axedale has only been playing the game for two years, but has already cut her handicap down to just four.“I got it from 45 to nine in one year - my goal was to get it down to single figures, which I did, so I was pretty happy with that,” she said matter-of-factly.The girl can hit the ball a fair way, too.At last year’s Victorian Junior Long Drive Championship, Mueck set a new girls’ record with her best effort of a whopping 255 metres.Not bad for a 16-year-old who, by her own admission, is pretty relaxed about her golf and doesn’t get out on the practise greens near as much as she ought to.“I don’t really practise much - I just do the days that I play, which is about four days a week,” the Heathcote Golf Club member admitted.Still, Mueck’s raw talent saw her take out the club’s senior and junior ladies championship in 2008, as well as the Bendigo district junior title, and finish third in the Murray River Junior Masters.Most recently, she was runner-up in the final of this year’s Victorian Junior Summer Championship.She has also attracted the attention of the high-performance selectors from Women’s Golf Victoria, who have included her in the state junior and senior squads for 2009.As a result, she will receive intense monthly coaching in Melbourne from experts who believe she has makings of a top player.“Britney is a very long hitter when she hits the ball straight and she has enormous potential to take her game to a very high level,” said WGV high-performance co-ordinator Stephanie Brennan.She also has a pretty good sporting pedigree.Dad Laurie plays off 10, and her brother, Kris Mueck, is a member of the Victorian Institute of Sport’s golf program and recipient of the Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund at The Advertiser Southern Cross TEN Sports Star of the Year awards in 2008.It was her brother’s success and the urgings of her best friend and Catholic College schoolmate Chelsea Wearne that prompted Mueck to take up the game.“I used to walk around and caddy for Dad (Laurie) but I didn’t really like golf,” she said. “Every now and then I would have a shot on a par three and do a good one but never really did anything other than that until I eventually decided to take it up when one of my mates wanted me to.”It wasn’t long before her talents became obvious - and her prowess has caused some controversy along the way.Early last year, at the age of 15, she obtained a men’s handicap of 12 and became the first female in the Heathcote club’s 80-year history to win men’s monthly medal from a field of 35 golfers with a nett score of 68.Not everyone was happy, and she ended up having to share the prize with the top male scorer.The row upset Mueck at the time, but she has put the incident behind her and is determined to have fun with her golf. She teamed up with the Wearne sisters - Chelsea and Stephanie - to play in last year’s Victorian School Teams Championships and the CCB trio was the only all-girl combination to qualify for the state final.They have their sights set on going even better this year when qualifying gets under way on February 27.Another goal is to get her handicap down to three so she can try out for next year’s Australian Open golf championships.“Hopefully within the next three years, I can be a top amateur or pro player,” she said.Adam Henwood coaches Mueck but, as he has moved from Heathcote to Melbourne, she does not get as much face-to-face time with him as she used to.Enter, her big brother.“When I need help pretty urgently, I go to Kris,” Mueck said.“He has been coached by Adam for a long time and I know how good Adam is and he’s learnt it all from him, so what he knows is always good stuff.”One person she doesn’t turn to for advice is mum Kerrie.“She can’t even hit the ball,” Mueck said with a laugh - and even Kerrie agreed.Mueck’s lack of experience has also become her greatest motivation, as she loves trying to match it with those who have been playing for longer than she has.She is working hard to improve her chipping, which she identifies as her biggest weakness.“I just finished the Victorian Masters and I lost probably 30 shots out of the four rounds because of my chipping, so I really have to work on that.”Mueck knows she needs to start doing the hard yards if she wants to make it in the tough world of professional golf.And everyone involved with the talented youngster is thrilled with the way she is progressing.There is just that little matter of more practise - and it’s a message coach Henwood has been pushing hard of late. “Geez he wants me to practise; everyone wants me to practise,” Mueck said.“I know I have got to start soon.”