Masterton Golf Club’s Jamie Frew in action. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
JAKE BELESKI
Masterton Golf Club’s Jamie Frew achieved more success on the golf course before his 12th birthday than most would enjoy in a lifetime.
Jamie turned 12 last November and has been playing golf for less than three years, but his list of achievements in 2017 alone is remarkable.
He was best gross winner at the Riversdale Junior Open, the Miramar Junior Open [18-hole division], the Shandon Junior Open [Under-15] and the Masterton Junior Open [Under-15].
He was stableford winner at the Martinborough Junior Open [Under-17] and the Masterton Golf Club Labour Day Tournament (men’s division 1).
At the Labour Day tournament, he shot his lowest score to date — a six-over-par 77.
“That was really exciting for me,” Jamie said.
“It was really good to get it in a tournament as well.”
Jamie was also selected in the Wellington Development Golf Academy, and represented Wellington at the Marton Junior Quadrangular Match Play Tournament and the Pahiatua Junior Triangular Match Play Tournament.
He had set one goal to achieve in 2017 with his coach, Joel Macklin, and that was to get a single figure handicap by the end of the year.
It came down to the last Saturday of the year, but Jamie shot a seven-over-par 78 which took his handicap to a 9.7.
Golf runs in Jamie’s family, and the chance to play with his father, Nathan, was one of the driving forces behind his decision to give it a go.
In November, the duo teamed up to play in the Masterton Golf Club Baker 4 Ball Competition, and ended up winning the event.
“I thought it would be quite nice to play with dad and get into it,” Jamie said.
“It was good fun, and it was really cool to play with dad.”
During the school year, Jamie plays on Saturdays and Sundays, and has coaching sessions most Wednesdays.
Picking out a highlight from his 2017 performances was a challenge, but he settled on a tense moment in which he held his nerve to win a tournament.
“I quite liked the end of the Masterton Junior Open — I birdied the second to last hole and I won the tournament in my age group by one shot.”
Jamie identified world No 2 Jordan Spieth as one of his favourite golfers, and hopes to join him on the professional circuit in the future.
Before then, he has other priorities to deal with, firstly representing the Wairarapa Under-12 cricket team this week at the Hawke’s Bay Cricket Camp in Hastings.
Jamie says he sees himself as an all-rounder when it comes to cricket, and if he hits a cricket ball as well as he hits a golf ball, there will be plenty of sporting opportunities available to him in the future.
