By Nick Brockman
Messenger Sports Reporter
nbrockman@the-messenger.com
When the Kentucky winter weather won't allow local junior golfers to practice, those like Taylor Howerton and Daniel Stewart skip town to polish up their game.
Howerton, a seventh grader at South Hopkins Middle School, will tee off today in the PARS Junior Golf Tournament in Port St. Lucie, Fla., a three-day golf tournament.
Today marks the second year Howerton has participated in the ages 12-and-Under bracket.
As snow and ice has already fallen in Kentucky this winter, Howerton said it can be weird getting back to the links.
"Sort of, but in Florida it's hot," she said. "I haven't got to play that much since it's been cold. It's been awhile, but me and my dad have been practicing."
nbrockman@the-messenger.com
When the Kentucky winter weather won't allow local junior golfers to practice, those like Taylor Howerton and Daniel Stewart skip town to polish up their game.
Howerton, a seventh grader at South Hopkins Middle School, will tee off today in the PARS Junior Golf Tournament in Port St. Lucie, Fla., a three-day golf tournament.
Today marks the second year Howerton has participated in the ages 12-and-Under bracket.
As snow and ice has already fallen in Kentucky this winter, Howerton said it can be weird getting back to the links.
"Sort of, but in Florida it's hot," she said. "I haven't got to play that much since it's been cold. It's been awhile, but me and my dad have been practicing."
For the Howerton family, golf runs in the blood. Taylor's father owns the Madisonville Golf and Country Club, Hopkins County Central's home course. Taylor played alongside sister Ashleigh for the Storm's varsity golf team, which qualified for the state tournament this year.
Taylor's mother will help her daughter try to attain her next goal in the PARS event.
"I want to at least break 90," Taylor said. "I get a caddy and my mom is going to caddy, so she's going to help me a lot with my different strokes."
Taylor already showed she knows a thing or two about golf though when asked to describe her weaknesses.
"The most important thing is keeping my head down on the ball," she said. "I like to pick my head up when I swing through."
During last year's event, Howerton averaged approximately a 104 over three rounds and said one of the most important lessons she has to teach herself in order to improve is not to dwell on mistakes.
"If I hit a bad stroke, I need to just go to the next stroke and make the best of it," she said.
Joining Howerton will be players from around the country and world. When Howerton showed up for the tournament in 2007, she was paired with a partner from Italy. Howerton said she met golfers from Brazil and Portugal as well.
Each of the competitors bring a solid game and it can make for a nerve-wracking atmosphere, Howerton said.
"These girls I was playing with last year were shooting 65s," she said. "It's pretty crazy sometimes because I get nervous."
Also on the links this winter is Madisonville-North Hopkins' Daniel Stewart. Although the Maroon golfer will not be in action during the Christmas break, Stewart participated in a junior tournament on Nov. 22-23 at the Ol' Colony Golf Club in Tuscaloosa, Ala., part of the Arrowhead Junior Golf Tour.
The tour's motto boasts "tomorrow's collegians ... play here today!" If true, Stewart certainly holds a bright future after his sixth-place finish at Ol' Colony.
"They're the best players in the state," Stewart said of his competitors. "You can always learn things from them, like what they do on their preshot routine and how focused they are."
Back home in the cold, Stewart hones his game by chipping around his backyard.
"Usually my dad cuts out a section of the yard and I use the grass as a little chipping area," he said.
Stewart enjoyed a productive sophomore season, but said he still has plenty of room for improvement.
"Putting, of course that killed me this year," he said. "If I could have putted well, I could have won a lot of tournaments."
The Maroon golfer may be in the offseason for high school, but North coach Dan Herrmann still has advice for his crew of golfers.
"Mostly he tells us not to stop after golf season, keep on playing in tournaments, get better," Stewart said. "Work on short game, that's a big thing. Work on putting and chipping a lot."
As for winter training, Stewart will continue to chip in his yard until Feb. 14-15 when he competes in the Greystone Junior Classic in Birmingham, Ala.
Taylor's mother will help her daughter try to attain her next goal in the PARS event.
"I want to at least break 90," Taylor said. "I get a caddy and my mom is going to caddy, so she's going to help me a lot with my different strokes."
Taylor already showed she knows a thing or two about golf though when asked to describe her weaknesses.
"The most important thing is keeping my head down on the ball," she said. "I like to pick my head up when I swing through."
During last year's event, Howerton averaged approximately a 104 over three rounds and said one of the most important lessons she has to teach herself in order to improve is not to dwell on mistakes.
"If I hit a bad stroke, I need to just go to the next stroke and make the best of it," she said.
Joining Howerton will be players from around the country and world. When Howerton showed up for the tournament in 2007, she was paired with a partner from Italy. Howerton said she met golfers from Brazil and Portugal as well.
Each of the competitors bring a solid game and it can make for a nerve-wracking atmosphere, Howerton said.
"These girls I was playing with last year were shooting 65s," she said. "It's pretty crazy sometimes because I get nervous."
Also on the links this winter is Madisonville-North Hopkins' Daniel Stewart. Although the Maroon golfer will not be in action during the Christmas break, Stewart participated in a junior tournament on Nov. 22-23 at the Ol' Colony Golf Club in Tuscaloosa, Ala., part of the Arrowhead Junior Golf Tour.
The tour's motto boasts "tomorrow's collegians ... play here today!" If true, Stewart certainly holds a bright future after his sixth-place finish at Ol' Colony.
"They're the best players in the state," Stewart said of his competitors. "You can always learn things from them, like what they do on their preshot routine and how focused they are."
Back home in the cold, Stewart hones his game by chipping around his backyard.
"Usually my dad cuts out a section of the yard and I use the grass as a little chipping area," he said.
Stewart enjoyed a productive sophomore season, but said he still has plenty of room for improvement.
"Putting, of course that killed me this year," he said. "If I could have putted well, I could have won a lot of tournaments."
The Maroon golfer may be in the offseason for high school, but North coach Dan Herrmann still has advice for his crew of golfers.
"Mostly he tells us not to stop after golf season, keep on playing in tournaments, get better," Stewart said. "Work on short game, that's a big thing. Work on putting and chipping a lot."
As for winter training, Stewart will continue to chip in his yard until Feb. 14-15 when he competes in the Greystone Junior Classic in Birmingham, Ala.
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