Golf star Jayden, 6, swings into action for US contest

And now – at the age of just six – golf prodigy Jayden Phipps is preparing to go stateside to represent the UK and take on players almost three times his age. The youngster is heading to California to represent the UK in a world junior tournament.

After hours of practice each day in his family's back garden in Wednesbury the youngster is being hailed as one of the most promising young players in the country.

Jayden, of the Woods Estate, will travel with his parents Karen, 46, and Ashley, 48, in three weeks to take on players as old as 17 in the Callaway World Junior Championships.

He does so having already beaten Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomery in a hole-in-one contest at the Golf Live event in Kent last year aged just five, watched by golf fanatic Chris Evans.

The youngster, a pupil at Park Hill Primary School in Wednesbury, leapt at the chance to take part when the stars asked for volunteers.

He got closer to a hole-in-one than Montgomery, despite a crowd of hundreds watching.

Jayden's mother Karen, a beauty therapist, said: "He takes it all in his stride. He loves playing and it never bothers him that people are watching him. We never pushed him into playing but he absolutely loves it."

Jayden practices twice a week as a member of the Three Hammers Golf Club in Stafford Road, Wolverhampton, along with hours working on skills at home.

The family will spend three weeks over in the US as Jayden, whose hero is US Open champion Justin Rose, battles it out against some of the sport's top young players from July 15 to 19.

Mrs Phipps added: "We don't even play golf so this is a total shock to us but it will be a great experience to go to America and we are very proud of him.