Sean Paxton, a 17-year-old from Pietermaritzburg, was thrilled when he fired a pair of eagles to win the Bridge Fund Managers Junior Series 2019 tournament held at Germiston Golf Club recently.<\/p>\n
The tournament was launched in July 2017 and is one of 16 tournaments countrywide featuring an u-13 and u-19 division for boys and girls.<\/p>
Paxton, who travelled up from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to compete in the event, was rewarded with a sought-after spot in the regional finals of the tournament, which were played at ERPM Golf Club in Boksburg in April, where the ultimate prize of an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the glittering Junior North and South Championship at Pinehurst, USA, was up for grabs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would definitely say that the thought of playing at Pinehurst was a motivating factor,\u201d Paxton said after the win.<\/p>
\u201cIn 2018, my good mate Nikhil Gopal won the regional final and went on to compete at Pinehurst.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I would really like to follow his success.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first of his eagles was on the fifth hole, which was played into the wind, but a great drive left him with just a six iron to the green.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played a cut which the wind brought back perfectly and it landed about three feet away – so a nice easy tap in,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
The eagle on the 16th hole was critical as he was tied with Casey Jarvis.<\/p>\n
Feeling the pressure, he needed to hit a draw over the fairway bunker to have a clear shot to the green.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drive was my best shot of the day as it went miles down the fairway, leaving just a 145m shot for my second,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took a nine iron, which landed a foot from the hole and spun back to six feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took a deep breath and boxed the putt with a small fist pump to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paxton, a member of Victoria Country Club, said the key to his low scoring round was his accuracy off the tee and a hot putter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made many long par putts and I got up and down every time from the edge of the green,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Coping with pressure is a challenge for any level of golfer and Paxton said he chooses to stay in the moment and never let his head hang low.<\/p>\n
He also adopted the attitude of his idol Rory McIlroy and walked with a bounce, which kept his energy up and kept him focused.<\/p>\n
\u201cPaxton and his family made a big sacrifice to travel up from KZN to compete in Germiston, so we are delighted that this commitment to the Bridge Fund Managers Junior Series paid off and we look forward to seeing this talented young golfer perform in the future,\u201d said Paul Stewart, chief executive of Bridge Fund Managers.<\/p>\n
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