SCONE teenager Nathan Waters came home from the 2009 Scone Golf Club Presentation on Saturday night with eight awards.
The 16-year-old, who is in Year 11 at St Joseph’s High School, Aberdeen, won Club Champion, Junior Champion, A Grade Matchplay, A Grade Foursomes, Mug of Mugs, Dr Pye Pointscore, Cleve Bettens Memorial Shield and was awarded Junior of the Year.
Nathan has lived in Scone for two years and has only been playing golf for four years.
Nathan started playing golf when his family moved to Tenterfield in 2005.
He was partially influenced by his father Chris who also plays golf, but the major turning point in Nathan’s interest of the sport was when former pro-golfer Charlie Earp visited Tenterfield and gave him a lesson.
Nathan has been an avid golfer ever since and practises daily after school at the Scone Golf Course. He plans to continue in the sport after he finishes school.
“I just live for golf,” he said.
“I want to obtain a professional golf traineeship.
“It is a four year course and you need your HSC. You also need a handicap lower than three.”
Nathan, who already has a handicap of three, holds the lowest handicap at Scone Golf Club.
Nathan enjoys playing with other junior golfers including Kyle Blinko who is on a handicap of 4.
Nathan’s mother Julie said Scone Golf Club has been very good to Nathan.
“The older members look out for the juniors and always encourage them,” she said.
Nathan and other junior golfers in Scone play in the Senior Competition each weekend.
“This has been my most consistent year since I started playing golf and I have really enjoyed it,” Nathan said.
His favourite golfer is Ricky Fowler, an American rookie who plays on the US PGA Tour. Nathan’s favourite Australian player is Geoff Ogilvy.
Nathan competes in junior tournaments and plays in the Jack Newton Foundation Junior Golf Competitions.
He will compete at the State Age Competition at Mollymook in July this year.
Along with his achievements at the Presentation Night, Nathan also won the Scone Open in 2009.
Nathan has represented the Hunter District Golf Association at Inter District Matches played against Newcastle and the Central Coast, Regional Championships, NSW Country Championships and the Baker Trinder Shield which is a competition against four other regions. The 2010 Baker Trinder Shield will be hosted by Scone, which will see some very good junior golfers compete.
Other 2009 achievements for Nathan were runner-up at the Muswellbrook Open and Winner of U15 Age Group at the Toukley Junior Open.
In January this year, Nathan won the inaugural Branxton Junior Open, a 36 hole event, shooting one over par. His commitment and dedication to golf will give him a real chance of realising his dream.