For JT Kelly, keeping your eye on the ball – and good form – are what he hopes will propel him to a shot at golf’s pro tour one day.
The 17-year-old is a member of the Airdrie Optimist Club and he was recently in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., competing in one of the premier junior tournaments: The Optimist International Junior Golf Championship. The tournament is also home to the PGA Honda Classic each year and was the same course where Tiger Woods was discovered.
Kelly hit the links against elite athletes from around the globe and was honoured to be the official flag bearer at the ceremonies.
“It’s like your representing a whole nation,” said Kelly, who golfs out of Willow Park Golf & Country Club in Calgary.
Although he failed to make the cut, posting an 83, 91 and 78, Kelly said the course conditions were vastly different than Calgary’s desert-like playing atmosphere.
“It’s the humidity. It takes a lot off the distance of your ball,” he said. “It was tough trying to get used to it.”
In the end, it was a Floridian that won the tournament, but losing out didn’t discourage Kelly.
The teen plays every day in the summer months and hopes to secure a scholarship to an American university.
His father Steve said the golfing was secondary to what the whole event was about.
“He met lots of kids and it’s nice to see them interact and connect,” he said.
Kelly has lowered his handicap from eight to two during the last 12 months.
In rounding out his game, Kelly knows where he needs to put in time.
“My mental game is getting better, but it’s not there yet,” he said.
“My short game is where it’s at.”
Golfing with peers is a good gauge for Kelly who enjoys the social competition.
“They ramp up the level even more,” he said. “You see how good you are with them.”
For Airdrie Optimist Club leader Jan Morrison, Kelly’s representation of the club and the opportunity to participate in the tournament are the most important things.
“To have the youth in our community compete at international levels is overwhelming,” she said. “We do everything we can to help our youth succeed.”
The Airdrie Optimist Club paid for Kelly’s airfare, accommodations, entry fees and all other expenses so he could focus on golf.
“I am truly blessed to be part of this program,” he said.
