Christmas 18—THOMASVILLE — When Megan and James Towell welcomed their son Lewis into the world, they never thought that they would be taking him to Pinehurst, North Carolina to compete in the 2023 US Kids Golf World Championships just six years later. But, that is exactly what they will be doing on August 3.
Lewis got his first set of golf clubs from his uncle when he was just a year old. It was a set of plastic toy clubs and that’s when Lewis’ love of golf was born. Once he started walking, his parents bought him a small Top Flight driver, along with an oversized golf ball. As his dad practiced his chipping in the back yard, Lewis would hit his ball all over the place. Soon, he graduated to a regular golf ball and James said he would “hit the heck out of it”.
And people were starting to take notice. People like golf pro and legend Phil Mickelson, who retweeted a video of a two-year-old Lewis hitting “bombs”.
Small foam golf balls allowed Lewis to play in the house, something that often interrupted the after dinner chit-chat.
“We bought him some foam balls and he hit the house constantly,” Megan said. “We would sit down at night after dinner and all you saw was foam golf balls flying around your head.”
It was official, Lewis was hooked on the game of golf.
“He slept with his clubs, he loves them so,” said James.
Lewis played other sports besides golf, such as tee ball. But none of the other sports excited him like being on the course with his dad. So, the Towells searched for tournaments Lewis could play in and they found what they were looking for in Ocala, Florida.
“At five, we found a US Kids Golf in Ocala,” said Lewis’ parents. “So, we went down there the first time and he ended up winning the first tournament he played in at five years old.”
Lewis was a natural and, at age five, he won the championship in Ocala. He played so well in fact that he qualified for the 2023 US Kids Golf World Championships, the largest event that Junior Golf has to offer.
To qualify, junior golfers must play at least four tournaments and shoot under 45 on the nine hole course. Lewis did that in every tournament he has played with his lowest score being a 40. Lewis has gotten so good that he is even beating his dad and giving him a pointer or two.
“He does get mad at me when I make the wrong club choice,” James said through a chuckle.
Getting into Junior Golf has been beneficial to both Lewis and his parents as the family has found themselves involved in an entire community they never knew existed.
“The more we’ve gotten into it, it’s almost like this underground golf world,” said James.
The parents exchange phone numbers as their children become life-long friends. They may compete against each other, but the competition only serves to bring the kids closer together as the community kindles competitive spirit and friendship.
Golf has also brought father and son closer together as James often acts as Lewis’s caddie.
“Oh, it’s awesome,” James said. “I tell Megan all the time, just me and him getting to go and even practice brings us closer. He practices a lot on weekdays and I take him and it’s a lot of one-on-one time. Me and his bond has become so much bigger just because we are always together.”
As for what Lewis loves about the game of golf, the six-year-old golf champion kept it simple.
“Because I like to play it with my dad and all the boys,” he said. “I like to hit bombs with my driver too! When I get to play with all of my friends at my tournaments, it’s fun.”