Nine-year-old Artie Atwal took up golf during the first Covid lockdown in 2020 and has fallen in love with the game, dreaming of one day playing on the PGA Tour.
Artie, who is a member of Poult Wood Golf Club in Kent, was six years old when he was playing mini-golf with his dad, Sanjit Atwal, one of the co-founders of Squawka, and saw golfers hitting shots on the driving range. It was love at first sight and Artie was hooked.
Now, Artie plays on the Kent Invicta 10s Tour and regularly uploads vlogs to his YouTube channel and makes sure to study the technique of the greats of the game, as well as his grandad.
“I love Tiger Woods,” Artie told Fen Regis Trophies. “I have a picture of him in my room to help me nail my backswing posture!
“My grandad is also an inspiration as he is a golfer and has helped me get lots of my equipment.”
Dedication
Though still in primary school, Artie is clear on his ambition and the dedication required to get to where he wants to be. The youngster dreams of crossing the Atlantic, and earning a scholarship to play golf in the United States, and he is working hard to get there.
“I practise twice a week,” Artie said. “Once at the range and once on the course. I also practise putting in my room in the mornings when I wake up.
“I usually get my homework finished during the week but once a month I have Kent Junior Academy after school, so I have to work quickly on those days.”
He added: “I have been coached at the Mark Janes Academy in Tonbridge for about two years. I enjoy the roll-up sessions as we play lots of games but I am now focused on one-on-one sessions with my coach Zachery Marsh.”
Loving Golf
While ambitious, Artie doesn’t lose sight of the importance of enjoying his golf. He has just completed his first year of competition and while he has endured his share of frustrations, he is mature enough to recognise a valuable learning experience.
“I enjoy being outside and seeing amazing scenery! I like all the wildlife and it is very peaceful compared to other sports I play.
“This was my first year of competing on tour and I liked travelling to all of the different courses around Kent.”
“I hate having to take a drop,” Artie admitted. “I am still quite new to golf compared to some of the other kids on tour and it took me a while to understand competition play, which was frustrating, but by the end of the season, I loved it!”
Discussing his proudest achievement so far, Artie explained: “I finished T1 at an event at Boughton on the Kent Invicta 10’s Tour.
“I lost out on a countback but it was awesome to have shot such a low score.”
As well as playing, Artie also enjoyed watching golf with his father and recently had the experience of a lifetime when attending The Open.
“My dad and I went to The Open at St Andrew’s this summer. I was lucky enough to meet lots of amazing people through filming content for the Golf Foundation.”
Having only just embarked on his golfing journey, Artie has always made great progress and is having fun while doing so. Don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last time you are reading about this young and ambitious golfer.