Young golfers heading to US to play
Two young Kiwi golfers will be taking on the world’s best in the United States in August, after cleaning up in the US Kids Tour finals on home turf.
Queenstown boys Noah Novacek, 9, and Josh Harris, 8, will represent New Zealand at the world junior championships played at Pinehurst in North Carolina.
Both qualified for the event in January at the New Zealand US Kids Tour finals, in Auckland.
Noah, who just got the cast off a broken arm the week before the first tournament in November, won seven out of the eight tournaments he played. Josh won four out of seven.
‘‘They’re in the top two or three in the country for their age,’’ said Noah’s dad, Shane Wairau.
Noah and Josh will be up against 2000 kids from around the world – about 130 boys in their respective age groups.
Both youngsters play off the men’s tee – Josh to a 29 handicap and Noah to 19, dropping from 36 three months ago.
They both had to overcome nerves in the Auckland finals.
‘‘I missed a putt because of the wind and I thought I’d lost, but then I found out I’d drawn and got a playoff. I just played my game,’’ Josh said.
‘‘I just couldn’t get my game together in the first nine,’’ Noah said.
A message via his dad that Josh had just won inspired him. ‘‘Then I played smart and shot one under par.’’
However, the young would-be pros are not about to let the pressure block their path to success.
‘‘I just say, ‘I’m gonna make this putt and it doesn’t mean anything’, and that takes the pressure off,’’ Noah said.
Noah, coached by Frankton Golf Centre pro Ackzel Donaldson, and Josh by Allan McKay, a pro at The Hills, hope to up their training regimes heading into winter. Josh trains about 10 hours a week. He will fit golf in around tough rugby, football and ice hockey this winter.
Noah plays 15 to 18 hours of golf a week, including men’s club days at Kelvin Heights and Arrowtown, and karate greatly aids his focus. He was named ‘‘most improved golfer of 2016’’ by the Queenstown Golf Club, ahead of the adults.
Skiing has been put on the backburner for both boys this winter but they hope to be back on the slopes from August – Josh competing with the Queenstown alpine ski team and Noah free skiing with Dad.
Council approves Paxsters
Paxsters caused no safety concerns in a three-month trial in Invercargill. A report from the Invercargill City Council roading manager Russell Pearson to the council’s infrastructure and services committee meeting yesterday says no damage to footpaths was observed. NZ Post had recorded some minor incidents. The councillors approved the use of Paxsters in the city as the trial period was a success.
House repairs start
The Invercargill City Council’s maintenance of the exterior of Anderson House has begun with spoutings being removed. Council parks and reserves manager Robin Pagan, at a meeting of the council’s infrastructure and services committee meeting yesterday, gave councillors an update on the house maintenance. The repairs have been budgeted for at $100,000. Spoutings will be painted, and the fascia boards will also be repaired and painted.