Tāneatua golf trio tee off with the pros at The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am in Tauranga

Professional golfer Josh Geary, with Taneatua’s Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau, Pedro Robinson, Lincoln Reneti, Otairi Teriini, and teacher aide Whetu Wiremu.

A trio of up-and-coming Tāneatua players taking New Zealand’s golf scene by storm have been teeing up with the pros in Tauranga.

Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau, who has autism, made headlines around the world this month after winning the national Zespri Aims Games nine-hole championship with borrowed clubs, and despite only having played three games before.

The 12-year-old also took out the team title with Tāneatua School classmates Pedro Robinson and Lincoln Reneti.

Hailing from a small rural township with no golf course, the intermediate school-aged students’ story has inspired generous donations and opportunities for them to further their experience in the sport.

On Wednesday they played in The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am at Tauranga Golf Course.

In a media statement, event organisers said it was in its third year and aimed to give young golfers the opportunity to play with some of the country’s best golfers.

It was the prelude to the Carrus Tauranga Open, as part of the Jennian Homes Charles Tour, which would see more than 120 professional and elite amateurs tee off between tomorrow and Sunday.

The Clubroom Tauranga’s Carson Van Asselt said in the statement 12 teams of two to five young golfers registered for the junior event.

“It is our biggest yet. We have seen it grow from last year, which is awesome to see our junior programme expand.”

Van Asselt, who was also playing in the Carrus Open, said the junior event was a great opportunity for young golfers to see some great golf and hopefully inspire them to improve their game.

“It is good to see them all out there enjoying it. That is what it is all about.”

The Clubroom also invited the young Tāneatua trio to play in the tournament after donating some clubs to the boys earlier this month.

Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau won the Aims Games nine-hole tournament after just his third game of golf - ever.

Tāneatua School teacher aide Whetu Wiremu said in the statement the boys had been having “so much fun” since their Aims Games win.

“It is good to see them enjoying a sport. They have been keeping on asking me about getting out and playing.”

Wiremu said playing in the Junior Pro-Am was a good experience for the boys who got to hit their new clubs among the professionals.

“It has been mind-blowing. It pushes them to go to the next step and hopefully, they stick at it.”

Playing in a team format was also a good experience for the boys, he said.

“If one hits a bad shot, the other picks them up. It is pretty cool.”

The Junior Pro-Am was played in an ambrose format where each player tees off and then takes their next hit from where the group’s best shot landed, and so on until the ball is in the hole.

Tauranga golf professional Josh Geary said the boys played “very well”.

“It is awesome to see them get into it. Although, I thought we would have taken some more of my shots,” he joked.

Geary said the Junior Pro-Am was a “good taste” of professional golf and playing on a course they had never played before.

His advice to the young golfers was: “Keep working hard, enjoy it, and don’t take it too seriously.”

Bayleigh said in the statement he enjoyed playing in the tournament.

“I always have fun playing golf.”

Pedro said it was “cool as” to be able to play in the Junior Pro-Am.

Local professional Kieran Muir said he enjoyed being able to support the junior golfers.

“We all started somewhere,” he said. “It is good to be able to get out there and have fun with them and be social. That’s the key.”