Howe Sound Secondary School (HSSS) student Kevin Kerr knows the 蜜桃视频appValley Golf Course (SVGC) well, as he proved on Nov. 2 and 3.
Kerr, who has been a member of the club since he was 11, won the SVGC's Match Play Tournament, beating out 15 other top local players of all ages.
The tournament saw competitors play two rounds of 18 holes, with each player required to possess a handicap below 10. Kerr said he had a solid Day 1 but really picked it up on Day 2 to take home the title.
"After the first day I was one down and I brought it back up by making a few birdies on the last few holes," he said, noting he clinched the win on the 17th hole. "When I won, it didn't really sink in at first but it's an awesome feeling."
Not only did Kerr get bragging rights but he also won a cool $250 for his efforts.
Kerr said his family initially got him interested in the sport.
"It just kind of happened," he said. "My grandparents golfed and my dad would take me and my brother for a round once in a while and it just built from there."
He said he developed a passion for the sport early on and that grew after becoming a member of SVGC.
"Golf is all up to you," he said, noting he likes the individuality of the sport. "And it can be pretty tranquil as well."
After several years of honing his skills at SVGC, Kerr began competing in tournaments on the North Shore for the British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA). He's also been a part of the HSSS golf team and won the SVGC junior championship the past two years. In 2010, Kerr took home the Sea to Sky Junior Championships after shooting an impressive 76 at Pemberton's Big Sky Golf and Country Club.
This past year, Kerr ranked 27th in TaylorMade Junior BCGA rankings after strong finishes in all eight events. He shot a 76 at SVGC on May 12 to finish seventh at the BCGA event there and shot a 75 at Point Grey on April 27 to place 11th.
Point Grey is also where Kerr scored his first hole in one.
"It was 180 yards and I hit a six iron and hit it pretty solid," he said. "It had a baby draw and just popped into the hole. I think people were surprised and I didn't really know what to do, so I cheered a bit. I did get to see it actually go in and that was really awesome."
Kerr will rejoin the HSSS golf team in the spring and said he and the team look forward to the AAA championships coming to 蜜桃视频appin May 2014.
"I'm stoked," he said. "We should have a little bit of a home-course advantage. It's an edge to know the breaks of the green and all that but in the end I still have to hit the shots."
He said he's happy with his short game, but will have to fine tune his driving for 2014. Kerr added he'd also like golf to be a part of his future.
"I'm looking into going into engineering and then further on maybe getting into something like designing golf clubs," he said.
The AAA championships go down from May 26 to 28, 2014, at SVGC. For more information on the course, visit www.squamishvalleygolf.com.
