United States-based Zimbabwean teenage golf sensation Sean Crocker is lifting the country’s flag high at the Junior World Golf Championships which got underway at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego on Tuesday.
The talented 15-year-old, who is based in Westlake Village, California, had a decent opening round after carding a two-over-par 74 to finish in a tie for 16th place.
He was six shots behind the 18-hole leader Beau Hossler, who was on four-under-par 68 with 54 holes to go.
Crocker looked well on course to sign for a good score with three birdies and a single bogey on the front nine before two more bogeys on the 10th and the 12th.
A further double bogey on the 15th pegged him back from even par to two-over-par which he settled for after saving par in his final three holes.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart, a fan of the budding golfer immediately used his Twitter account to congratulate and wish Crocker good luck.
“Sean Crocker lying 16th after first day of World Junior Golf Championships with a two-over 74. Keep your head down lad, Zimbabwe is for you,†he said.
Crocker will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of his mentor and fellow countryman, the legendary Nick Price.
In 1974, Price, then only 17 years of age, won the Optimist Junior World Golf Championships, which ironically was also held at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.
Price, who is now competing on the over-50s Champions Tour, was full of praise for young Crocker during an interview with NewsDay from his base in the US early this year.
Crocker has been dominating junior tournaments in the US since 2009 where some of his accolades include being the Soule Park Open, the Camarillo Open, the Thousand Oaks and the Taylor Made Ventura County junior titles winner.
This year he moved from the Ventura County Junior Golf Association to the more competitive PGA Southern California Junior Tour.