A pupil from Tong Leadership Academy has been crowned the Under 21 Boys English Golf Champion. Year 13 pupil Habib Khan achieved the accolade following his recent victory at the ProDreamUSA English Golf Championship.
Habib – who was one of 22 young English players competing in the tournament – was leading by eight shots right up until the 18th hole when he made a crucial error. Fortunately, Habib fought back to take the title by one shot.
Commenting on his achievement, Habib said:
“I think it helped playing on home turf as I know the course so well. It’s fantastic to make my family proud.
I’d like to play professionally, so the next step is to progress from amateur competitions. My dad is my role model and I couldn’t have achieved any of this without him.”
Habib has been playing golf from a young age – first playing almost as soon as he could walk. He first picked up a club at just 18 months old and practiced on a golfing green behind his house. The Bradford pupil has played competitively since the age of seven and is coached by his father at Willow Valley Golf Club, Yorkshire’s largest golf facility, where his father is a member.
Following Habib’s success in the English Golf Championship, he won a place at the Junior European Open, which is widely considered to be the toughest tournament in junior golf across Europe. Former winners include US Open Champion Justin Rose and former world number one Luke Donald. This year’s Champions Week Finals took place in Cadiz on the Costa Del Sol and were broadcast on Sky Sports. Following five tough rounds, Habib finished in a very respectable 14th place against a field of 104 boys.