LOOKOUT Tiger Woods, meet Ocean Grove’s newest teenage golf sensation Tyron Cover, writes Mark Heenan. The Year 11 Bellarine High School student last month won the prestigious Ocean Grove Golf Club and Junior Championship.
The Championships were played over 72 holes and over two weekends in May.
The 17-year-old finished well ahead of his nearest competitors and won with a total score of 293 (72, 74, 75 and 72).
Tyron, also an avid surfer, only took up the sport four years ago after spending his early adolescent years playing football and cricket.
“I was more football and cricket (focused) and I don’t play those (sports) anymore, I’m more concentrating on golf,” he said.
The bubbly teenager, who has a handicap of two, is fast becoming one of the Bellarine Peninsula’s brightest golfing talents after accepting a scholarship to play at the Victorian Golf Club.
Last year Tyron, who plays regularly at the Queenscliff Golf Club, played a pivotal role in helping the Geelong region win its second successive Victorian Country Inter Regional Championships in Heathcote.
Ocean Grove Golf Club Head of Junior Development, David Kee, paid tribute to Tyron’s hard-work ethic.
Kee is particularly impressed with the teenager’s temperament towards the game and his attention to detail.
“I have got to pay Tyron some dues – ever since he first come down here and started playing competition golf I have seen him play 18 holes of golf and spend the next two hours on the practice fairway,” Kee said.
“Now us old folk will play 18 holes of golf and go into the clubhouse afterwards, and we’ll spend 10 minutes warming up – Tyron will spend half an hour putting without swinging any other clubs.
“The work he has put into (his game) to get where his now is a credit to the boy himself.”
Tyron agreed the mental approach to his game had been a vital component, despite his youthful exuberance.
“You see a lot of juniors in the tournaments (clock up) a lot of shots, but mentally you can save yourself up to 20 shots even if you are going bad,” he said.
Tyron is also the nephew of well known media personality and ABC radio Coodabeen Champion Ian Cover, who lives in Barwon Heads.
His grandfather Alan Cover, aged 93, remains a strong source of inspiration for young Tyron.
Alan remarkably still plays regularly at the Ocean Grove Golf Club a couple times a week.
“Grandpa still plays, he is still going well and still plays good too,” Tyron said.
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