{"id":53882,"date":"2019-11-07T13:33:14","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T11:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/golf-prodigy-6-to-represent-sa-in-malaysia-20191107\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T18:06:32","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T16:06:32","slug":"golf-prodigy-6-to-represent-sa-in-malaysia-20191107","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/golf-prodigy-6-to-represent-sa-in-malaysia-20191107\/","title":{"rendered":"Golf prodigy (6) to represent SA in Malaysia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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St Francis Bay resident, Micah van Eyssen (6), has his sights set on two prestigious international golf championships: the Junior Africa Golf Open and Kids Golf World Championships. Photo: Monique Basson<\/div>\n
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HE swung his first golf club when still in diapers.<\/p>\n

At age 6, St Francis Bay resident, Micah van Eyssen, a Grade R learner at Victory Christian School in Jeffreys Bay, competed at national level \u2013 for the first time \u2013 and secured a third place.<\/p>\n

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He now has his sights set on two prestigi-ous international championships.<\/p>\n

According to proud father, Frederick van Eyssen, who learned to play golf from his grandmother, Micah hit his first golf ball when he was only one year old. \u201cSoon afterwards he joined me on the golf course \u2013 displaying excellent skills. However, it was only this year that he started to play competitively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who is the best golf player of the two?<\/p>\n

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\u201cMe .\u2009.\u2009.!\u201d laughs Micah.<\/p>\n

Tournaments<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

After being third at the Junior Africa Golf Open hosted by SA Kids Golf in KwaZulu-Natal in August this year \u2013 his first-ever tournament \u2013 this promising young golfer secured a spot at the Kids Golf World Championships in Malaysia in December this year. He will also represent South Africa at the Australian Junior Age Division Golf Championships to be held in Queensland in April 2020.<\/p>\n

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Proud father, Frederick van Eyssen, is Micah\u2019s biggest supporter. Photo: Monique Basson<\/div>\n
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Micah has since competed in Johannesburg under the US Kids Golf banner, in a bid to qualify for the British Golf Open and World Championships 2020.<\/p>\n

He won his first local tour event with his best score to date of level par 36, finishing with three straight birdies to clinch the medal.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMicah, who is a member of the St Francis Links Golf Club, is currently ranked third in Africa based on SA Kids Golf performance, and well on track for qualification,\u201d said Frederick.<\/p>\n

But this does not come without hard work.<\/p>\n

He practises one to two hours every day, some days even up to four hours.<\/p>\n

What does he enjoy most about playing golf? To make new friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe truly tries to have as much fun as possible and has a deep love for the sport,\u201d said Frederick.<\/p>\n

And his role favourite professional golf player: Jeffreys Bay-resident Wallie Coetzee, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka.<\/p>\n

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When not on the golf course, Micah loves to swim, to play golf and to fish (he once dreamt of becoming a professional angler).<\/p>\n