WILL SWINGS FOR GLORY
TEENAGE golfer Will Florimo has set his sights on interstate glory after claiming his second Ray Howarth Memorial Open at Half Moon Bay Golf Club.
The 18-year-old won the 2013 edition of the tournament, which recognises the life of Howarth, who was instrumental in building the Half Moon Bay Golf Club, and backed it up with his second on Sunday afternoon at the club.
Florimo triumphed in the men’s section while club junior Lilly Birney took out the female division.
Florimo, who has just returned from the Hills Golf Academy in Brisbane, shot rounds of 66 and a 65 over the weekend to lift the title.
“It was also a good little indication of how my time spent down at Hills Golf Academy this year has been worth the nine months of hard training and learning,” Florimo said.
“It was an awesome feeling to have again and gives me some drive heading into my upcoming trips.
”In about a month I am representing Queensland in the Australian collegiate championships in Canberra before heading to Melbourne for the Historic Master of the Amateurs championship followed up by the biggest tournament of the year in Perth, the Australian mens amateur championships in January.”
Half Moon Bay general manager Greg Ferry said both Birney and Florimo were deserving winners.
“Will is a Yorkeys Knob boy who has spent the last year down in Brisbane at a golf academy for his final year of school,” Ferry said.
“He is on a plus two handicap at the minute and his game has just gone to the next level.
“He was nine under across the two days, which is just unbelievable golf. Will has just turned 18 so he had his first beer as a senior golfer this week. “He is a very tidy golfer.” Local golfer Graham Summers nailed a hole in one on the ninth hole, just missing out on winning a $10,000 Yamaha Motorised Golf Cart.
The club was offering the prize for a hole-in-one on the fourth hole over the weekend but Summers nailed the ace on a different hole.
Florimo is always searching for sponsorship to help send him around the world to chase his dream. If you are keen to help, contact willflorimo.golf@gmail.com