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Seaforth youth qualifies for Optimist
international tournament in Florida
Jeff Heuchert
If being the son of the
Sea'orth Golf and Country
Club owner increases the
expectations that you must be
a good golfer, you certainly
couldn't tell by watching Paul
Doig golf.
The 11 -year-old, from
Seaforth, will be heading to
the PGA National Resort in
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
this weekend, to compete in
the Optimist International
Junior Golf Championships.
To qualify for the tourna-
ment, Doig had . to compete in
a district, provincial and
national tournament last
summer.
He finished first in Clinton
at the district level, second
in St. , Marys at the provin-
cials . and seventh in Ingersoll
at the nationals.
And while that was good
enough to qualify for the
international tournament,
like a true competitor, Doig
says "I could have played a
bit better."
Whether or not he thought
he could qualify for the inter-
nationals, Doig says "If I
practised, I thought I'd be
good enough. But if I didn't, I
probably wouldn't have got-
ten there."
Doig has been practising at
golf ever since he was three
years old.
"I was hitting balls around
the house, and then when I
was seven I started out here,"
he says sitting out back of the
golf course club house.
"But my dad had to help me
a lot," he adds.
Each year, more than 650
junior golfers from 25 coun-
tries participate in the
Optimist International
Junior Golf Championships.
It is considered one of the
largest and most prestigious
junior golf events in the
world.
The tournament, which has
run since 1978, has hosted
some of today's biggest names
in pro ,golf, such as Tiger
Woods, Phil Mickelson and
Michelle McGann.
Since qualifying for this
Jeff Heuchert photo
Seaforth's Paul Doig practises
his short game at the Seaforth
Golf and Country Club, earlier
this week.
week's internationals last
summer, Doig has already
begun attempting to qualify
for next year's tournament.
He finished first again in
Clinton and second again in
St. Marys, noting that his
game improved by four
strokes at the course in St.
Marys since last year.
The Ingersoll tournament is
upcoming in August, which
Doig's 14 -year-old sister
Robyn has also qualified to
compete in.
Still an avid hockey player
in the winter, Doig says he
doesn't mind competing with
out a team during the sum-
mer months.
"Sometimes I like to do it by
myself, without anyone's
help," .he says.
"You don't have anyone else
to blame or get help from it's
just you."
Aside from practising and
attempting to qualify for next
year's international tourna-
ment, Doig is keeping busy by
competing in several of the
Junior Tyson tournaments,
which helps Doig keep his
competitive edge.
"It' more fun because if you
just play (for fun), you don't
try as hard as you would if
you were trying to beat some-
one," he says.
In the Tyson tournaments,
Doig competes in the 13 and
under class, where he's gone
up against some bigger and
stronger competitors.
"One guy is only 13, but he's
bigger than my dad. He wins
them all," he says.
"They hit it (the ball) really
hard, but then they'll have no
short game," which Doig says
is the most important part of
a golfer's game, and where he
can make up strokes on the
stronger players.
In fact, he's already done so.
Doig finished fourth at a two-
day tournament in Iiondon
this summer.
So with plenty of experience
already behind him, Doig
expects he'll still be quite ner-
vous come his tee -off time in
Florida, and just hopes he
can stick to his main goal, to
"Play as well as I can."
The Huron Expositor • July 19, 2006 2006 Page 11
Carol Mitchell, MPP Huron -Bruce
Public Forums to discuss results of
newsletter survey on agriculture & food
Tuesday, July 25
Hensall Community Centre 7 .pm
Wednesday, July 26
Belmore Community Centre - 2 pm
Wegnesday, Juy 26
Cargill Community Centre - . 7 pm
Please fill out survey and return to office
Survey available on www.carolmitchell.ca
CLINTON
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1-800-668-9320
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Saturday, September 2, 2006 - 2R•"'•
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will be donated to the
Seaforth Community Hospital Foundation
Join us following the performance for light
refreshments, Silent Auction & S0/50 draw.
Tickets $23 Regular Seating/$26 Preferred Seating
•
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