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Stuckless to play in national tournament
15 -year-old will play against Canada's best junior golfers at Optimist golf championships
Chris Skalkos T -A staff
EXETER - When it comes to
golf, Christian Stuckless considers
himself a natural.
At age 15, Stuckless will be play-
ing against 160 of the best golfers
in the country when he competes
in the All -Canadian Optimist Junior
Golf Tournament in Cambridge on
August 21 and 22.
He qualified for the national golf
championship after scoring 85 in
the Provincial Championships in
Brights Grove July 10, and
shooting 82 at the Mid -Western
Ontario Playoffs held in Kitchener
on July 24.
Previously, he won the Annual
Exeter Optimist Jr. Golf Tourna-
ment held at Ironwood Golf Club.
Optimist clubs from Ontario and
across Canada sponsor the playoff
tournament to give young golfers
the opportunity to compete with
people their age.
This is Stuckless's third year
playing in the Optimist tournament
and his second year to qualify for
the nationals. An amazing feat,
considering he has only been play-
ing golf for four years.
The young golfer said he dis-
covered the sport through his father
Bob.
"One day his clubs were laying
around the house so I picked them
up," said Stuckless recalling the
first time he held an iron in his
hand.
Stuckless takes time to concentrate as he lines up a
put on the green. His best score at Ironwood Golf Club is
73 and 70 at Exeter Golf Club which he shot last year.
Soon afterwards his father took
him and his two brothers, Shawn
and Bryan, out to the golf course to
try their hand at the game.
"That was the first and only time
my father beat me," he said. It took
only two days for Stuckless to find
himself back on the greens and he
has been a permanent fixture on the
golf course ever since.
Stuckless currently has a handi-
cap of 6.6. Shooting two under par
for an : ntire game isn't uncommon
for him and he makes a birdie look
easy.
He has been practicing daily at
Ironwood Golf club in Exeter pre-
paring for the nationals next week
and he feels confident he will do
well, despite being the youngest
golfer in his 15 to 17 -year-old age
group.
"I think I'm going to do pretty
good. I'm used to the pressure and
competition now. I know what to
expect," he said.
Last year Stuckless played in the
Optimist's All -Canadian Tourna-
ment and placed 24th. This year he
intends to improve his game.
"I'm a better golfer now. I'm
more experienced and I have a bit
more confidence," he said.
Gib Dow Jr., owner of Ironwood
Golf Club, has been watching
Stuckless play and he feels he is the
best junior golfer playing on his
course.
"He's better than any junior I've
seen and he's a lot better than some
of the adults that golf here," said
Dow crediting the young golfer's
serious attitude towards the sport
for his quick success.
"11e- never comes itt [the club-
house] and sits around, he always
has a club in his hand. If I don't see
him golfing I can usually find him
on the practice tee chipping them
out," Dow said.
Stuckless said his strong point is
his putting but he still has to work
on his drives.
"I can hit it straight but not long.
I don't have a very long drive," he
admits.
For Stuckless, overcoming his
drive shot will not be as chal-
lenging as overcoming his nervous-
ness when he plays in the All -
Canadian Championships next
week.
This self-effacing, and somewhat
shy golfer is also preparing himself
mentally for the tournament. He
Christian Stuckless will play in the All -Canadian Exeter Jr. Golf Tournament in Cam-
bridge on August 21 and 22. This is the 15 year-old golfer's second trip to the national
Tournament since he started playing golf four years ago.
said he can't afford to be nervous
when he's trying to concentrate on
his game.
"I'm not as nervous now in tour-
naments because I'ni more used to
them now. You can't be nervous
when every stroke counts," he
said.
The first tee -off will he the most
difficult part of the tournament for
Stuckless because there could be
over 100 spectators.
"I just picture there is no one
there watching me and it seems to
work," he said.
Patience is the secret to his suc-
cess, something that some golfers
don't seem to have.
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"Golf is a mind game. You have
to take your time and concentrate,"
he said. "Most golfers are in a rush
and they don't visualize their shots.
they just walk up and hit the ball."
When he's not playing golf,
Stuckless is watching it on tele-
vision or reading about it in a mag-
azine. He admires professional
golfers such as Greg Norman and
John Daly and he isn't ruling out a
career in golf, or at least obtaining
a golf scholarship after graduating
from high school.
No matter what the future holds
for Stuckless, golf will certainly
play an important role. He es-
timates he spends 40 hours a week
UNDUP
on the golf course either practicing
or competing and he plans on try-
ing to keep it up. even though he
has just started a part-time job.
"I keep practicing every year and
every year I keep getting Netter.
I'm cutting my score down and I'm
hitting the ball more solidly," he
said.
Despite the long hours he spends
on the greens and the many many
under par games he has played.
Stuckless has vet to hit the most
sought after hole -in -one.
"I've never had a hole -in -one. But
I've been close," he said.
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