Sport
16 April, 2023
Teen tees off his career goal
Young Mossman golfer is only Far North Queenslander at national junior competition
MOSSMAN golfer Couper Smith, 17, is reaching new heights in golf, joining the Australian Junior Amateur golf championship in Hobart this week as the only Far North junior player.
Played at the Tasmania Golf Club in Hobart, the 2023 Australian Junior Amateur golf championship is a national competition and a crucial step for emerging high-performance players in Australia where players can make the global ranking.
Smith, a proud Mossman State High School year 12 student, is most confident in his short game and plans to bring the best of it into the championship in Tasmania.
“My strong point is my short game,” he said.
“I’m not the biggest person, so I don’t hit it as far as the bigger kids, but when it comes to my short game, I’m really precise and accurate.
“Short game has been my strongest throughout my career, and that’s what I’ll use to get into that top 10.”
Currently one of Australia’s best junior players, Smith has taken his handicap down to +1.5. To compete in Tasmania, players need to have a handicap below +4.
“I’ll be competing against the best junior golfers under-18 across Australia, there will be 78 boys playing, and I’m one of them,” he said.
“We’re playing for three days, and the first two days, we’ll play for a cut. If you’re into the top percentage of the field, you’ll make it into the final day.
“I’m a bit nervous because it’s such a big tournament, but I’m excited because I feel like I can perform well.
“My goal is making the cut for the final day, and out of the 78 boys playing, I’m striving for a top 10 performance. That would be a good benchmark for me.”
A golf prodigy, Smith started playing when he was three and grew rapidly in the sport, competing and winning local events like the Greg Norman Junior Masters and even competing internationally by age 10.
“I’m proud of how much I’ve improved since I started. I’m starting to get into the bigger leagues and try to really stretch my golf out,” he said.
“When I was 10, I went to America and played in the World Stars of Junior Golf in the under-10 category and played the junior Olympics in Las Vegas.
“Most recently, I won a big tournament in Port Douglas with my friend as a two-men component called the Survivor Golf, which is very prestigious,” the teenager said.
Now that he has reached year 12, Smith is aiming for a future in professional golf. “When I finish school, I’m going to search for a scholarship in America to go to golf college,” he said.
“From there, I can work towards my golf and make a career out of golf going into the professional stage.
“I want to make golf my life because out there on the golf course, I can be myself.”
