All right, it’s time to start taking this young lady seriously.

Amanda D’Ostroph has game. There’s no doubt about that. Winning the Moore County Women’s Amateur Championship two of the past three years is enough to give you a clue.

And when she does it heads-up against two veteran performers and former champions such as Patty Moore and Staci Creech, there is little room for argument.

D’Ostroph, a resident of Whispering Pines and a rising senior at Charleston Southern University, where she’s on a golf scholarship, proved her mettle once again this past week when she scored a resounding victory in the event, held on Woodlake Country Club’s two outstanding courses.

She shot 71 on the Ellis Maple layout in the opening round, then closed it out with a spectacular 69 on the Palmer Course on Tuesday.

Pressure? What pressure? She was sharing a cart with Moore, a six-time Moore County champion and a superstar in the Carolinas Golf Association annals, and she left the Carolinas Golf Hall of Famer five strokes in her wake and highly impressed.

“Amanda was very impressive,” the gracious Moore said. “She’s gained yardage with her shots, and she hits it pretty straight. She was very comfortable hitting her driver both days.

“One thing about her is that she’s confident. She doesn’t even see the trouble. I see trouble right and left. She’s just hitting it down the middle.”

So, what advice would the multiple CGA Player of the Year offer her young opponent?

“I’m not sure Amanda needs a lot of advice,” Moore said. “She’s hitting the ball super, and she’s putting great. I would tell her to just keep doing what she’s doing.”

Creech, the defending champion, is a strong player who was a standout on the University of North Carolina women’s golf team a few years ago. She’s a third-grade teacher who lives in Chapel Hill and is a member of the Country Club of North Carolina. She, too, was impressed with D’Ostroph’s game and composure.

“Amanda is very steady,” Creech said. “She doesn’t make mistakes, and she makes good decisions when she’s getting out of trouble.”

D’Ostroph is a product of a golfing family and The First Tee of the Sandhills. Her personal instructor is Mike Krick at Carolinas Trace Country Club in Sanford. She’s a country music and Taylor Swift fan.

The training she received during her days with The First Tee is evident. She exudes confidence and meets people easily. She makes friends quickly and has earned the respect of her fellow golfers for her attitude as much as for her game.

D’Ostroph proved her game was in good shape two weeks ago when she finished second in the Women’s State Amateur Championship. So she didn’t exactly sneak up on anyone in the Moore event. She opened on the Maples Course with a bogey-free 71 that featured a lone birdie, then closed it out with a five-birdie, two-bogey round on the Palmer Course for a 4-under-par 36-hole total of 140.

“It was very exciting to play with Patty and Staci (who tied for second place at 145),” D’Ostroph said, “definitely a lot of fun. It brought out the best in my game.”

D’Ostroph isn’t sure she’s hitting the ball much farther than when she won in 2010, but definitely thinks her game has improved.

“I’ve got more experience now from playing in college and in bigger tournaments,’ she said, “and I have a lot more confidence.

“I’ve gained maybe five-10 yards off the tee, but mostly the improvement is just in being more consistent.

“Playing with better golfers seems to make me rise to the occasion.”

Asked if she has aspirations of matching or surpassing Moore’s record six wins in the women’s championship, D’Ostroph didn’t want to make any predictions.

“I’ll definitely keep playing in it,” she said, smiling.

And as for the future, any plans to play on the LPGA Tour?

“That’s in the back of mind,” she admitted. “My game has definitely improved.

“I’ll be applying to graduate school, but I won’t say professional golf isn’t in my future.”

Whether she plays professionally or not, Amanda D’Ostroph is as good for the game of golf as golf is for her.

No matter where golf takes her, she’s a winner in life.