Leo Hona at The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am at Tauranga Golf Course. Photo / Alex Cairns
Leo Hona at The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am at Tauranga Golf Course. Photo / Alex Cairns
Two golfers have made holes in one, one golfer scored below his handicap three days in a row, and another just became the most successful player on a national tour.
And only one of them is a professional.
That was just some of the golfing talent on show at The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am at the Tauranga Golf Club yesterday.
Now in its fourth year, the event gives young golfers the chance to play with some of the country’s best.
Two of those young golfers were Benson and Leo Hona – the brothers who each scored a hole-in-one on the same course just months apart.
Seven-year-old Leo became the youngest golfer to make a hole-in-one at Tauranga Golf Club in January – less than four months after his older brother Benson scored his first one at age 9.
Benson said since then golf had been going “really good”.
Benson Hona, 9, at The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am at the Tauranga Golf Course. Photo / Alex Cairns.
Last weekend he played 36 holes at Rotorua’s Lakeview Golf and Country Club to qualify for the Bay of Plenty Junior Golfing Society’s national yearly tournament – the Booth Shield.
While he hasn’t scored any more holes in one, Benson said he was keen to keep trying.
The boys’ 10-year goal was to make it to the PGA Tour. Benson will be 19 by then, and Leo, who will be 17, reckons it’s possible.
“Yes because, Lydia Ko won them when she was 15 years old.”
Eleven-year-old Elijah Ellis also qualified in the Booth Shield team last weekend.
“Surprisingly, I came third which meant I got into the team. It felt pretty cool.”
Elijah also gained golfing success at the 2024 Zespri Aims Games 18-hole division earlier this month, placing third in the Year 7 boys competition and sixth overall.
“I shot under my handicap for all three rounds,” he said.
Elijah Ellis, 11, at The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am. Photo / Alex Cairns
The young golfer, who also wants to one day make it on the PGA Tour, said The Clubroom Pro-Am was his chance to play alongside the professionals.
“It’s a really good experience and it’s also fun in general,” he said.
The Clubroom Tauranga’s Carson Van Asselt said there were 12 teams of between 3-6 young golfers registered for this year’s Junior Pro-Am and 12 golf pros from across the country.
“With 50 junior golfers registered, it is our biggest event to date. We have seen the numbers grow from last year, which is awesome to see our junior programme continue to expand.”
About 50 junior golfers got to tee it up with the golf professionals at The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am on Tuesday. Photo / Alex Cairns.
Van Asselt said the Junior Pro-Am was an awesome opportunity for young golfers to play alongside some of their idols.
“It is an opportunity that doesn’t happen very often. So it’s awesome for them to be able to make the most of it. Having fun is what it’s all about.”
Now in its fourth year, the Pro-Am is a prelude to the Carrus Tauranga Open which sees more than 120 professional and elite amateurs tee off this week as part of the Jennian Homes Charles Tour.
One of them is seasoned golf professional Josh Geary, who last week won the 2024 Christies Floorings Mount Open securing his status as the most successful player in the Jennian Homes Charles Tour’s history.
Josh said it was the first time he had won that particular event.
Golf professional Josh Geary, at The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am. Photo / Alex Cairns
“I have spent a lot of years playing there from 11 years old to about 21. It was very cool being back around some of the members I have known forever and also playing some good golf too.”
His plan for this week’s Carrus Tauranga Open was simple: “Play to the conditions, keep it in play, off the tee, take the birdies where you can. Patience is the key. You can expect it to be so easy, but sometimes it is not.”
Growing up in the Bay of Plenty, Josh said it was nice to be playing back-to-back golf in his own backyard.
“It is nice to be at home when you’re playing, which doesn’t happen much at all. To have back-to-back weeks it is nice to keep that form going.”
Josh said The Clubroom Junior Pro-Am was a great opportunity to support young golfers while giving them a taste of how the professionals play.
His top tips? “Practise hard and don’t take it too seriously, there’s plenty of time for that. So don’t be hard on yourself and just keep enjoying it.”
