Big Talent In A Little Package
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-07-09
By GORD MONTGOMERY, Inside Golf
COQUITLAM, British Columbia — Some kids love to golf. Maxim (Max) Mckenzie lives to golf. In fact, he’s so in love with the game that when he was young, really young, he tended to tune into the Golf Channel rather than Cartoon Network.
And now, at age 12, all that time spent at the range and on the course is paying off — in a bigger way than one might expect.
Speaking on the phone from his home, Max, who first teed it up at The Links at Spruce Grove in Alberta, now plays out of the Chilliwack GC in B.C. after his family moved there five years ago.
Max said he’s at the course “every day,” which is where he heads after school. There he spends several hours each day practicing and playing, “Then I come home and go to bed!”
Yes, this kid loves the game and he also loves to compete. He’s won an amazing 37 tournaments and has... get this, four holes-in-one (actually, since this interview took place he got another one so he’s now up to five!)
One of those aces came at the right time for the silky-smooth pre-teen, when he popped in a tee shot during a Vancouver Golf Tour Pro-Junior event at the Cheam Mountain GC. In that tournament Max was teamed up alongside his dad, Luke who is the head pro at EagleQuest GC, and two other juniors. While Max won his division, that wasn’t the biggest story of the day. That came when he knocked a 7-iron into the hole to collect a cash prize of $2,500. And yes, he got to keep the money as the rules regarding amateur eligibility for accepting prizes has changed.
“It was a four-ball, best-ball off the same tee as the pros,” he related about that extra special day on what was set up as a Par 3 golf course. “But the par-3s for me, I had to hit like a driver on four of the holes and my long irons and woods and stuff (on others).”
Even At Age Six, Maxim McKenzie, Shown Here Playing With Story Author Gord Montgomery, Had Beautiful Form When Swinging A Golf Club.
As the club selections may sound strange to those who have never met Max, a bit of an explanation is due here. While he’s 12, he weighs less than 70 pounds and stands under five feet tall, so he’s not overly imposing, except when it comes to counting up one’s strokes at the end of the day.
Now, about that ace.
“The hole was 113 yards. I hit a little 3/4 7-iron, 2-yard draw on it, it started right, then began to (go) left, bounced twice with a little back spin and went in. I usually hit about 110 with the 7-iron, so I caught this great!” he wrote in an email following our phone call. As for the other 1's he’s achieved, this was his second at the host venue and he has, “two at a my dad’s course,” so he knows how to go low.
The thing is, he apparently knows how to look after his money, too. Max said the cash he won in the event would go into his education fund, and why not? After all, this young man certainly doesn’t need to buy any new sticks considering how well his present ones work.
Maxim Wasn't The Biggest Guy On The Block Back In 2014 When He Was Six. He Still Doesn't Intimidate With His Size But But Rather With His Game
Over the course of the tournament day, Max carded a minus-4, which tied him for medallist honours. And who’d he tie with? Well, how about Bryn Parry, a CPGA professional from the Seymour Creek Golf Centre who has won his own fair share of tournaments over the years. Also chipping in with the same score was another pro, Michael Belle.
While it’s easy to be intimidated playing against those who exceed one’s self in experience, size, and age, Max moved up an age group last year for competitions. That, he noted, helped him settle in quickly in this particular event, and others.
“I now play 18-and under and I got more comfortable (against older foes). I don’t get nervous. I play my own game. I know the mindset now — go in, have fun, and try to win,” which, for competitors his own age and above, may mean often fighting for second place in future events if Max is one of the guys in the field.
The interesting thing here is, while dad, who as mentioned is a pro, got son started in the game, he’s now hands-off as Max generally figures out things on his own, although he admitted, he will ask for some fatherly advice from time to time if needed.
Author’s Note: I first came into contact with Max when he was six, and headed to Pinehurst to compete in a major kids’ competition. Even back then he had a smooth swing and a talent for the game that you could tell was going to take him a long way. And it has — after all, he’s five aces and $2,500 ahead of me in that category!