Young golfer in form

Ask Marty Kerr about his Springfield Golf Club mate Danny Lee and Christmas Eve's gloomy morning is rubbed out in Rotorua by a gigantic toothy smile.<
"I know about what he's done," Kerr says of the world's number one ranked amateur and youngest ever US Amateur champion, who also plays at Springfield - "The Club of Champions".<
Kerr is the latest of the club's players to make his mark, winning the Bay of Plenty age group under-15 title in Whakatane. He has also been selected for the 2009 Bay of Plenty Golf's Junior Academy alongside fellow Springfield junior William Newman.<
Kerr is making rapid progress and he doesn't have to go far to find a golfing role model to follow.<
He says Lee is an inspiration to himself and many other young people in Rotorua.<
The influence is even a little stronger for the enthusiastic 14-year-old who has been practising at the club every day since going on holiday from St Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton.<
For most of the last few weeks Kerr's golf fine-tuning has taken place beside Lee on the club's practise fairway. Lee is readying his game for a huge 2009 which includes playing the Masters and turning professional.<
"[Lee's] good to me. He comes over and shows me stuff I'm doing. I really like watching him ... he teaches me really good work ethic," Kerr says.<
Club professional Brenda Ormsby has been keeping a watchful eye on his development and believes he could make a good golfer.<
"He's got a real good head for the game and works hard," Ormsby says.<
Kerr, who went to Otonga Primary and Rotorua Intermediate, started playing the game when he was 10 or 11 and reckons he shot somewhere between 114 or 120 on his first outing with his father John. He's now down to a 4.7 handicap with a best gross score of 72, which he's achieved at Springfield three times and at Whakatane once - while winning the under-15 title.<
Kerr is a natural sportsman. He played Tai Mitchell rugby for Rotorua Maroon and representative cricket for Bay of Plenty Lakelands as a wicketkeeper/batsman.<
He still plays rugby and cricket, as well as golf, all with his father's help.<
"I stay in Hamilton on Fridays and Dad picks me up after cricket and brings me back in the afternoon so I can play golf on Sunday."<
Golf is the favourite sport right now. Kerr simply loves the game.<
"I love how it's just yourself - you can't blame anyone else."<
They are definitely the words of a youngster with an old head for the game.<
* 2009 Bay of Plenty Junior Golf Academy squad - <
Girls: Tyla Kingi (Opotiki), Grace Senior (Taupo), Chantelle Cassidy (Rotorua), Tegan White (Opotiki), Saini Skudder (Rotorua).<
U15 Boys: Martin White (Omanu), Blake Prior (Taupo), Brad Shaw (Otumoetai), Martin Kerr (Springfield), Jack Sullivan (Mt), Bailey Smith (Mt), Howard Maxwell (Opotiki), William Newman (Springfield), Zane Rangihika (Kawerau).<
U19 Boys: Nic Meyer (Mt), Bradley Kendall (Mt), Craig Hamilton (Omanu), Hayden Beard (Mt), Andrew Wright (Tauranga), Tyler Wallis (Omanu). <