Echuca junior’s golfing breakthrough – twice

He liked it, then he loved it. So much, footy got the boot for a bag of golf clubs and since then the now 13-year-old hasn’t looked back.

Except he has now broken his right foot (self-inflicted this time, in the backyard pool) and is right back where his golfing game started – in a moon boot.

But unlike footy, a moon boot isn’t slowing this little guy down at all – last weekend he played a tournament at Rich River Golf Club where his daily handicap was plus 3 (and that pesky moon boot).

And he finished with 39 points, or six under par (his regular handicap is 5).

RRGC director of golf Steve Loader described the performance as “amazing” that he could “lug his clubs around on a broken foot and still record a score like that”.

“Ollie is member of our inaugural TaylorMade junior golf academy and although he has only been playing serious golf for a couple of years he shows a lot of talent,” Loader added.

“He’s got an impressive drive off the tee – some would suggest he hits it further than me – but the thing I really like about him is his consistent ability to return low scores,” he said.

“At his age that shows a lot of concentration and game maturity.

“Being part of the TaylorMade program isn’t just about golf scores, it also places a lot of emphasis on overall performance, on how individuals carry themselves – it is targeting good people, not just good golfers.”

While Ollie doesn’t rate any part of his current game as “outstanding” his eyes do light up when he pulls the driver out of his bag.

He consistently sends the ball 230-240m down the fairway with his first shot, and with a range such as that, par threes can be at his mercy.

Although there are no holes-in-one just yet, Ollie said he has had quite a few first bounce “so close” to the pin and some stopping within a couple of feet.

“Everything’s pretty good right now, but I don’t think there’s anything outstanding, it’s just all coming together,” Ollie said ahead of some practice at RRGC this week.

“It’s all fun, I am really enjoying it, and since turning from footy to golf it has gone pretty well,” he said.

“I have been able to win a few tournaments (actually several) and played a two-day tournament earlier in the year on the Mornington Peninsula.”

Ollie reckons winning is a good gig – he can pick up as much as $70 cash for that, deduct his $13 entry fee and still have money in his pocket.

Although he seemed to zone out of the interview when asked how much he chips in for mum’s or dad’s petrol bills with his prizemoney. Being part of TaylorMade also makes life easier, with each member getting three hats, four gloves and three boxes of golf balls (Ollie goes through a box every couple of months).

On Wednesday, November 17, Ollie is jetting to Sydney and the demanding Highlands Golf Club at Mittagong for the Eric Apperly Shield competition.

It is a club scratch matchplay competition between NSW metropolitan clubs and country districts, and Ollie’s Western Riverina team has made it through to the pointy end of the tournament.

“We practice on the Thursday, play 18 holes on Friday and 36 on Saturday – if we get through that we will be up against the best of the metro teams for the final,” Ollie explained.

For the record, Ollie’s latest break is an avulsion fracture, which occurs when a muscle, tendon, or ligament pulls with enough force to tear a piece of bone away from the main bone structure. It frequently happens when rolling or twisting the ankle, or, in Ollie’s case, trying to do a fancy launch off the wet pool deck.