Inside Golf - May 2014 by Inside Golf

juniors

A star in the making David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

ere’s a young golfers name worth pencilling in – Christian Butterworth.

The 12-year-old has a golfing resume as long as your arm that includes practising with Marc Leishman and Steve Bowditch.

Christian Butterworth plants a kiss on the Peregian Springs B grade club championship trophy.

In recent years, Christian has been tearing up the fairways at numerous Sunshine Coast golf courses and collecting trophies like there’s no tomorrow. Late last year Christian, who plays off a 4.7 handicap, won the Greg Norman Junior Masters (13 years and under division) by a staggering nine shots. He carded rounds of 77-77 at the Palmer Colonial golf course on the Gold Coast and followed that up with a 78 at Palmer Gold Coast (Robina Woods) and a 75 at Palmer Coolum on the Sunshine Coast. “Going into the last round he had a one-shot lead, which remained through nine holes,” said proud dad Andrew. “He then shot a one-over on the back nine to win by nine shots, which placed him in 28th position in all boys’ age groups.” Andrew said his son’s best 18-hole score is 73 at both Peregian Springs (home club) and Tewantin Noosa golf courses.

CHAMPIONS: Former Open Championship winner Darren Clarke took time out to have his photograph taken with young Christian.

“Recently he won the Noosa Par-4 Junior Open with a one-under par score and lost a playoff at the Noosa Springs Junior Open after he and winner Doug Klein fired 74s. “He was also the youngest ever winner of a Sunshine Coast Junior Open when he won the Cooroy Junior Open last year. He also became the youngest ever qualifier of the Invincibles Junior Masters.” Christian, a short-game wizard, excels in all formats of the game including matchplay. Of the 17 matchplay rounds he has contested, Christian has won 14, lost two and halved one match. His two losses were against an adult, who plays off a four handicap, and a 17-year-old one marker. “I believe Christian is currently rated 118th in the Australian Boys’ golf rankings (18 years and under),” Andrew said. In 2012, Christian won the Peregian Springs B grade club championship with consistent rounds of 86-85-83-84. And he did it just a week after his 11th birthday. Christian, who first picked up a club when he was two-and-a-half, acquired a new set of irons thanks to the generosity of a Peregian Springs club member.

“He won the Bargara Junior Open nine-hole section off shortened tees when he was nine years old,” Andrew said.

“Christian was playing with third-hand clubs so I bought him a new driver and a threewood and one of the trainees gave him a putter,” Andrew said.

“He shot a two-under, seven-under and a oneunder (gross).

“Then one of the members asked me how he was going.

“I told him he was using outdated irons so he paid for a new set of irons, which was much appreciated. “We are weighing up the possibility of sending Christian over to the Callaway Junior World Golf Championship in California in July. “Some of the club’s members are keen to help support him get over there and Declan McCollam, the club’s CEO, is also keen to help.” Christian is a golfing fanatic and loves being up close and personal with the game’s superstars where he can learn and develop his game. For four years, he worked as a volunteer at the Australian PGA Championship when the tournament was at Coolum. There he met former Open Championship winner Darren Clarke, Greg Norman, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and practised with the likes of Mark Leishman and Steve Bowditch. It seems golf runs in the Butterworth family with Christian’s older brother Tim a second year trainee professional at Tewantin Noosa Golf Club. “Tim finished 10th in the Queensland Order of Merit in his first year,” Andrew told Inside Golf. “Both boys are good kids. They are not sitting on computers and hanging around the streets. “Golf is teaching them respect, honest and etiquette.” • Do you know a talented junior golfer, or the next “Star in the Making?” Let us know! Drop an email to ed@insidegolf. com.au and tell us all about it.