Ballyhaunis golfer is number one

WINNING SMILES Brilliant young golfer John William Burke (12) is pictured with his parents John and Paula, along with the ‘Gary Player Trophy’ which he won for being the overall champion in the Flogas Irish Junior Open Golf Summer Series. Pic: John Corless

JOHN William Burke is an amazing young sportsman.
The 12-year-old from Ballyhaunis has come out on top in each of the three major golf tournaments played in Ireland for young golfers this year.
Last week John William was crowned the overall champion in the Flogas Irish Junior Open Golf Summer Series. He collected the prestigious ‘Gary Player Trophy’ for his efforts, seeing off over 500 other young golfers in the process.
The series was played over seven tournaments on different courses all over Ireland these past two months, and the affable youngster won four of them. His placings in the others ensured the overall success.
Earlier in the summer his victory in the Irish-staged ‘US Kids’ tournament qualifies him to play in the World Championships next year in Pinehurst in North Carolina.
And on Thursday last he secured the Order of Merit – top spot in the Irish Kids Golf.
In all, John William played 26 tournaments over the summer in all competitions, winning twelve.
John William’s introduction to golf came when he was three – when his dad, John, gave him a right-handed club and a left-handed one.
“I swung the left-handed one better, so now I play left-handed and I play every day and I really enjoy it,”  John William told The Mayo News. “When I’m going to school, I wake up at 5.30am and I go to Ballyhaunis Golf Course and I play a round of golf before school. I do this every school day. My dad walks around the course with me and caddies for me. In the winter it’s dark but we have headlamps – torches attached to a headband.”
When we foolishly asked how he could find the ball in the dark, he replied: “That’s easy. It’s usually in the middle of the fairway, or if we are up near the green we can see it or it’s in the hole.”
John Burke says that his son had put in 2,838 hours practice since January of this year and an additional 1,800 hours playing, That’s a total of 4,638 hours (to put it in context, there are 8,760 hours in a year.)
“It’s costly,” John explained. “Very costly. But we play for the day and enjoy it. We got some sponsorship from the ‘Big Red Barn Modular Homes’ last week, which is a help.”
John William’s mother, Paula Jordan, admits that it’s a challenge juggling everything, but says she is “amazed at their dedication.”
John William doesn’t have a favourite professional golfer, but he says that he enjoys watching Rick Shiels on You Tube.
As for the future, the youngster says that he would like to win the West of Ireland Championship by the age of 17.
“I’d love to go professional,” he added, “And I’d love to be world number one, someday.”
As for advice to other young sportspeople, John William says to ‘stick with it, practice all you can, and make sure you enjoy it.’
Remember the name!

John Corless