Move over, Tiger! Golfer James, nine, is on the fairway to heaven
A budding young golfer is hoping he is on the fairway towards emulating the achievements of his heroes Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and has just been nominated as a club's junior golfer of the year aged just nine.
James Ilsley, who lives in Sedgley Hall Avenue, Sedgley picked up a club for the first time when he was aged four and is already competing against golfers aged 17 and 18 and achieving par scores on holes between 400 and 500 yards in length.
Now he has received the junior golfer of the year trophy from Dudley Golf Club in recognition of the progress he has made, which has seen his handicap reduce from 50 when he first started playing, to 36 now.
The youngster, who represents the West Midlands League Team, has already won seven trophies, despite only starting to play golf competitively 12 months ago and has no trouble completing an 18 hole course.
His mother Samantha Russell said: "He competes against fellow juniors. He is beating other golfers aged up to 18 years old. He is only a little lad, but he is doing really well at the moment.
"The county is looking at him as well and that could be something for the future."
He has received expert coaching from professional golfer Darren Prosser, a former Walker Cup player, at the Darren Prosser Golf Academy based at Kingswinford Golf Centre.
Such has been James' rapid rate of progress that other club members believed he will have reduced his handicap into the 20s by the summer.
Mrs Russell said: "I walk round sometimes and look at him against other players and he is always doing really well."
She added he became interested in golf because his father Austin Russell, aged 36, was keen on the sport and introduced James to golf.
His reward was the golfer of the year trophy and a £50 voucher to be spent at the golf club shop.
