The last thing 10-year-old Jack Crowe wanted to see at Otumoetai Golf Club yesterday was rain.
The wet weather did little to ease his challenge of taking part in this year's New Zealand Junior Tiger golf tournament.
The competition aims to find the country's best young golfer, who will represent New Zealand
in the World Junior Golf Champs in America.
Jack said rain made playing golf much more difficult. "If you are hitting low and along the ground, it will stop your ball instantly. It's a great challenge."
Jack said that while he definitely wanted to become this year's "junior Tiger", he also aspired to become a Tiger Woods of the golfing green in his adult life - by playing golf professionally.
Jack's father Sean Crowe said his son has been interested in golf since seeing Tiger Woods on television when he was 5. "He just copied how he was swinging and he's gone really well."
The boy and girl from each age section with the best score from the regional championship will compete in the national finals in Manawatu on April 17.
From there, they can win the title of Junior Tiger plus a trip to Disneyland.
Mitchell Balmer-Allen, 9, finished with a respectable score of 53 but was disappointed. "I normally shoot 49 or 50," he said.
The winners of the 12-14-year-old category were Jinmyeong Hwang, from Tauranga Golf Club, with 33 (par) and Alanna Campbell, from Omanu Golf Club, with 40. Her brother Shaun Campbell won the boys' 11 and under category with 36 and Tyla Kingi, from Opotiki Golf Club, took out the girls' 11 and under with 35.
