OLDS — A youth who got a hole-in-one at the Olds Golf Club picked up his prize – a brand new Ford Ecosport Titanium from sponsor Cam Clark Ford on Sept. 1.
Trae Verjee, 18, of Springbank, near Calgary, won that vehicle after getting the ace – his second ever – on the 13th hole of the Olds Golf Club during the Maple Leaf Junior Golf’s MJT Ford Series on June 29.
Verjee still remembers what club he used.
“A nine-iron and it was 163 yards and there was wind into us,” he said.
Asked if he thought the ball would go right in right from the tee he said, “no I didn’t. But it was a very good distance for that club. Like, I knew if I hit it well, it would be pin-high.”
Verjee could go to university this year but has decided to take a year off to improve his skills, hoping to eventually earn a Professional Golf Association (PGA) tour card and turn pro.
“I’m taking a year off and I’m going to try and play a lot of golf. Just start in these next few months and hopefully I can get a scholarship or something,” he said. “I’m going to hopefully get a coach and just play a lot and get better.”
For the moment, the plan is to golf here in Canada, despite the fact the season’s almost over.
But that isn’t for sure.
He might go down to the United States to work on his game.
“I know I could play a lot more than going to school here, because you know, half the year you can’t play here,” Verjee said.
“We’ll see,” he added. “Still kind of deciding on what I’m doing.”
Verjee has been golfing ever since he can remember. But he says he really began seriously working on his game in the past 18 months or so.
“I stopped playing every other sport,” he said.
“I don’t know, I really liked golf. I love the mental part of it, because you’ve got to stay focused the whole time.”
Cam Clark Ford general manager Mark Nydokus handed the keys to the vehicle to Verjee.
He said he was “extremely happy” to be part of the occasion.
“It’s so exciting to be part of the Maple Leaf Junior Golf MJT Ford Series,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been involved in giving a vehicle away.”
