Kids What Are Better Than Us
Kids eh? If there not boring you to death at their school play they’re being much better than could reasonably be expected at golf.
A twelve-year-old boy will lead Tanzania’s team of six players to the 2008 East African Nation Golf Classic series grand finale at Muthaiga Golf Club in November.
Victor Joseph, an orphan who knew nothing about golf eight months ago, beat a field of 139 players with a superb 39 stableford points to emerge the leading qualifier of the East African Nation Golf Classic Tanzania edition at the tough playing Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club.
Joseph, currently playing off 18, fired five over par 22 at the front nine despite double-bogeying thee par three-ninth.
He later posted 17 points at the back nine which included three double-bogeys and a three back to back bogeys at the last three holes.
“I am very excited that Joseph has won this event. I started off with these boys on September 28 last year and not only are they playing well but they are likely to be single figure players by the end of the year,” said Dar es Salaam resident professional and golf administrator Charles Farrar.
Elsewhere Tommy Fleetwood, from Southport, lost three and two to Reinier Saxton, of the Netherlands, in the Amateur Championship final at Turnberry on Saturday, but the calmness and touch shown by the 17-year-old on and around the greens will stand him in good stead when he joins the professional ranks.
He has convinced two members of the Park Golf Club, Southport, where he learnt the game and hit a course-record 65 last year, to place a £500 bet on him becoming Open champion before his 27th birthday.
They have been given odds of 66-1.
After his semi-final win on Friday, Fleetwood had said that the biggest plus of his winning streak was that he got to play Turnberry for free. He got two more rounds on Saturday and could have become the youngest winner of the Amateur, but having been one up after 19 holes, he faded on the closing stretch.
Fleetwood was a gallant loser. “He just played much better than me,” he said. “Tee to green he was much better. I can't be disappointed - I did better than 286 other golfers.”
6/23/2008 12:17:13 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00) 
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