A SADDLEWORTH teenager is making his mark in the world of junior golf.
Oliver Chapman, 14, is now competing at county level after being selected to represent Lancashire.
Inspired by his dad Matt, Oliver first picked up a golf club at the age of seven and hasn’t looked back since.
“We got him a little club and he never missed a ball – he’s got the bug now,” Matt told the Saddleworth Independent.
The Saddleworth School pupil – who plays at both Saddleworth Golf Club and Crompton & Royton Golf Club – has enjoyed multiple wins on the Northern Junior Golf Tour.
His most recent highlight came last weekend, when he made his debut for Lancashire against Cheshire at Nelson Golf Club in Burnley – and won.
In July, Oliver also shone at the Bradley Park Junior Open in Huddersfield, coming in second place in terms of net score and first place in gross score.
Matt explained: “The net score is the score you have after taking your handicap off, so if your handicap is 10 and you shoot 90, your score is 80. Gross is exactly how many shots you had. Oliver’s handicap is seven.”
Reflecting on Oliver’s debut for Lancashire, Matt added: “It was the first time I couldn’t caddy for him – I couldn’t even talk to him. It got very tense towards the end as lots of people were watching and it made him nervous.
“He sank a three-foot putt to win on the 17th hole. He told me afterwards he was shaking but now I know he can do it without me, which made me mega proud.”
Oliver’s mum Nicola, who owns NK Hair Studio in Uppermill, is also among his biggest supporters as the talented teen continues to go from strength to strength on the fairway.
Oliver’s next challenge will be at a junior open in Queensbury, near Huddersfield, next week.
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