Generation game

Broken his age several times
IVAN Elder could be forgiven for struggling to remember his first golfing experience let alone what he scored.
The 93-year-old clearly recalls both.
“It was during the war,” he told The Gisborne Herald on Wednesday while having a well-earned beer at the completion of the Beetham Lifestyle Village Gisborne East Coast veterans’ open on the Poverty Bay course.
“I was stationed in England (in World War 2). I’d never hit a golf club in my life. I played 18 holes and shot 134.”
Plenty of water has flowed under the golfing bridge since that day in the life of the former air force pilot, Mayor of Gore from 1972-80 and retired chartered accountant.
He got into the game proper in the early 60s and has played ever since.
Four holes in one and a couple of junior B club championship titles are among his achievements but it his longevity that is becoming his legend . . . a legend his physical appearance suggests he could still be adding to when he reaches three figures.
With it has come the opportunity to join the exclusive club of players to have broken their age.
Mr Elder has done that several times and equalled it twice over the past four years. Only last month, at his home Gore course, he carded 93 off a 36 handicap.
When asked the obvious question, “how long do you think you will continue”, he shrugs his shoulders and admits he did not expect to still be playing.
Mr Elder — the only South Islander in the field — has been competing in the GEC vets’ open for nearly 10 years.
Three years ago he made The Gisborne Herald front page for an uncanny coincidence. Mr Elder, then 90, was the oldest player in the tournament and Gisborne’s Ron Young, 55, was the youngest.
The tournament is more of a sidebar to visiting his son Ron Elder — a teacher at Gisborne Girls’ High — daughter-in-law Doctor Lesley Hawkins and his grandchildren.
This year’s visit was extra special as he got to see granddaughter Hannah Hawkins-Elder named head prefect for 2012 at the Gisborne Girls’ High School prizegiving last week.
For the golfing record, Mr Elder finished out of the prizes — the course was a bit long for him — but he was once again one of the more popular and, not surprisingly, inspirational characters.
As to coming back next year . . . that’s the plan.
Best six-year-old golfer in NZ?
ZACH Rolls is upset.
Arguably the best six-year-old golfer in the country wanted to show The Gisborne Herald how he could smack the ball up and over the side fence of his house, but both attempts clattered into the corrugated iron.
We’re immensely impressed already but it is simply not good enough for left-handed Zach — such is the determination of this pint-sized star on the rise.
“He loves to compete. He hates to lose,” says father Stephen, who, with support of wife Jess, has been a driving force behind the development of the eldest of their three sons.
The Mangapapa School student achieved his first playing career highlight last weekend — victory in his age group at the inaugural USA Kids Junior Golf Auckland Tour event. He shot 43 over a 1005-metre nine-hole course at the Aviation club, then won a tense two-man play-off for the title.
“He seems to thrive on pressure. He doesn’t let it get to him,” said Stephen.
Such “mental hardness” in one so young was exemplified in the play-off. The pair were required to chip on to a green then putt out. His Auckland opponent Robby Turnbull, who is not yet five but towered over Zach, chipped his ball 15-feet past the pin and lipped his putt to make three.
Zach popped his ball to four-feet from the flag and calmly knocked in the putt for two to win . . . much to the relief and elation of his dad and caddie, who compared the stress to the second half of the Rugby World Cup final.
It was Zach’s first taste of tournament play and rewarded what Stephen described as “a phenomenal amount” of practice at Gisborne Park Golf Club since enrolling in the Future Stars programme run by the Auckland-based Institute of Golf.
The programme, overseen by professional coach Craig Dixon, balances practice with what is described as “fundamental movement skill”.
Basically kids are given exercises to strengthen core muscles and improve co-ordination, balance and all-round awareness. This ranges from thowing and catching a ball to riding a bike. Children are also encouraged to take part in other sports.
Zach has done that — football and basketball — but his thirst for golf appears unquenchable.
His father has no problems getting him to practice. He wants to. On arriving home from work the other day, Stephen found Zach in the living room practising his putting.
Zach loves watching golf as well. A few months ago Rory McIlroy was his favourite player. Now, fittingly, it is fellow leftie Phil Mickelson.
Stephen said the Auckland tournament — the first of eight “Tour” events from which players can qualify for the world finals in the USA — was great for Zach. It gave him a taste of tournament play among others near his age, and, most importantly, he had “so much fun”.
Stephen acknowledged the support of Gisbone Park Golf Club and Arthur Bacon, who runs Sunday morning junior sessions at Poverty Bay.