Glass eye not slowing down Aluesi’s career
PARKER Aluesi should by all rights be standing on the side of the fairway, raking the bunker rather than hitting the ball.
But a lack of binocular vision has not stopped him racking up the golf awards in what is turning into a promising career.
Aluesi has been named as the Eagles Golfing Society of Otago under17 junior player of the year for 2018.
Aluesi (16) has had a good year. He won the under16 Otago title at Balmacewen, was selected at No 4 in the Otago junior team to play at Cambridge and was the only under17 Otago player to make the cut in the national junior championships.
He has also has won three of the coveted trophies at Otago Boys’ High School.
When not studying at school, sleeping or eating at home, Aluesi can be found at his second home — the St Clair Golf Club.
‘‘He is either practising or working for me in the St Clair golf shop when here,’’ St Clair Golf Club resident professional Patrick Moore said.
Aluesi has not had an easy road to golfing success as the righthander has a glass left eye and only has vision from one eye.
‘‘I was 6 years old and attended a birthday party when I fell over and a metal pole went through my right eye,’’ Aluesi said.
Although he lacks binocular vision, Aluesi said it had not hindered his progress on the golf course as he still was a good judge of distance and had good depth perception.
He is loving the game and his glass eye is just part of who he is.
Aluesi joins an elite group of professionals and amateurs to have won the trophy which was first awarded in 1969.
Prominent professionals include Shelley Duncan, Ben Gallie, the late Ron Johnston, Mahal Pearce, Alan Rose and Greg Turner.
This year’s Otago No 1 Inia Logan was a recent recipient of the trophy while Chris Alldred, Brett and Michael Atkinson, Tony Giles, Bruce Grant and Brent McEwan have all been successful amateurs when representing Otago.