Amy Thomas hit her first ball at just six years of age after getting bored watching her big sister Claire have lessons each Sunday morning. Hooked from that very first swing, Amy fell in love with the game and knew it was something she wanted to do well at. Over the last four years, she has been having lessons each week and has recently moved out on to the course where she loves playing against the other children. What started as a cure for boredom has become a regular hobby and one that Amy gets plenty of enjoyment from. I like to play golf because it is fun to see how far I can hit the ball and it s fun to play with other people because I can learn from them and meet new friends, said Thomas. Based at Patterson River Country Club in Victoria, Amy s regular lessons are with PGA Professional Paul Boxall. I love doing lessons with Paul because he is always teaching me new things and helping me fix my mistakes, said Thomas. Despite only just beginning to put her skills together on the course, Amy played in a school competition last year and was thrilled to make it through to regional qualifying, in spite of experiencing some initial nerves. At the regional competition, I was so nervous that I got butterflies in my tummy, but when I started playing I felt more comfortable because the people I was playing with were so nice, said Thomas. Being selected as the 2013 MYGolfer of the Year was completely unexpected for Amy and she was incredibly excited when told the news. When I got told about MYGolfer of the Month back in April I was very happy, but when I recently got told about being MYGolfer of the Year, I was really excited, said Thomas. I never expected to get something like this. This award is very, very special to me, my coach Paul and my club. To celebrate her achievement, Amy will be a VIP guest at this month s ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open where she will have behind-the-scenes access to the tournament. In terms of working on her golf, Amy s next steps are to spend more time on the course putting together everything she has been learning in her weekly lessons. This is just the beginning for Amy; with the ten year old already dreaming big about what her golfing future holds. I would like to keep practicing golf a lot more to get really good, said Thomas. If I improve enough I would like to be a pro golfer one day.
Author: Sarah Kennedy / Golf Australia