Off the tee: Elementaries of the swing

Tomorrow morning is party time for the golfing kids at Chamberlain Park golf course in Auckland.

Most Saturday mornings from 8am children from two years old to 15 gather for free coaching from head professional James Kupa under an initiative from the Ngati Tamariki Trust.

As director Vic Pirihi explains, it is a Maori initiative for everybody and the range of young people involved supports that principle.

"Vic told me I had to coach everybody, red, white, black or purple," says Kupa. "It's free and at times we had too many to make it really work.

"This year we said they had to register on October 11 and we relied on word of mouth. About 150 turned up and we've had fewer than 30 drop out."

The programme, sponsored by the ASB Trust, runs for 10 weeks before Christmas and 10 weeks after.

Kupa has divided the kids into age groups and coaching begins with the oldest at 8am and finishes with the youngest three hours later.

"Nobody really wanted to coach the smaller ones but I got into it as I had family and they grew up.

"Gillian Bannan taught me the ropes and I've been involved for nine years now. We've also toured the country doing this kind of thing."

The Ngati Tamariki Trust, in conjunction with the Ben Hogan Junior Development Programme, has run clinics in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Turangi, Huntly and Whangarei and the results of its work is regularly seen in national tournaments.

A highlight for the programme came last January when Michael Campbell joined the group during his busy schedule before the New Zealand Open.

Kupa grew up in Taradale, Hawkes Bay, and was a prominent amateur before turning pro 17 years ago. Though resident pro at Chamberlain Park for 14 years, he retains his own form as a player, finishing second on the New Zealand order of merit a couple of years ago.

He is also a successful coach of several prominent amateurs.

But like many children with sporting fathers, his have preferred to concentrate on other activities, excelling in singing and dancing.

Not that they are rejecting their parents' talents - Kupa and wife Joanne have a thriving cabaret act, singing at private functions.

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Qass Singh, the 13-year-old son of the leading money winner on the USPGA tour, Vijay, can look forward to a pretty good Christmas present this year.

Playing with his dad in the annual father-and-son tournament in Florida, featuring players from the regular and senior tours, Qass combined to earn fourth place and $US54,750 ($84,500).

The Singhs completed the lowest round of the 36-hole event, a 12-under-par 60. Winners were Hale and Steve Irwin by one shot from Jack Nicklaus and his son, Jack junior.

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Matthias Gronberg, the leading qualifier for the USPGA tour from the six-round tour school, which ended this week, burst on the scene 13 years ago with a performance in New Zealand.

Gronberg, now 33 and a winner on the European tour, was the leading individual when the Eisenhower Trophy was staged in Christchurch in 1990. His Swedish team won the trophy.

New Zealand were equal second with the United States after a certain Phil Mickelson sank a long putt on the 18th green of the Shirley course for the Americans to draw level. Michael Long, who failed to earn a card this week, was in the NZ team.

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Secondary school girls, who have had to battle with the boys for places in school teams, will have a tournament of their own in Taupo next August.

Women's Golf New Zealand has decided to stage the inaugural contest over 54 holes from August 23-25. It will be an individual event, with provision for a team category using the individual scores.