We help boy wonder gain wild card entry for Callaway World Junior Championship in America OUR website takes thousands of hits each week, but now comes news that it has, quite literally, been a huge hit in California.

The Callaway World Junior Golf Champion-ship takes place next month in San Diego and, thanks to our website, eight-year-old golfing star Tom Bayliss will be playing.

Steve Bayliss, Tom’s father, explained how we came to be the driving force in his appearance in one of the two top junior events in the world.

He said: “I made contact with the tournament organisers, but they told me that all places had been allocated and under no circumstance would any exceptions be made.

“Despite this, I explained that Tom had played well in America last year and faxed them his golfing CV.

“I also told them to read up about Tom’s achievements by logging onto the News Shopper’s website, which has reported extensively on his progress.

“I put the telephone down not expecting to hear anything positive, but amazingly they contacted me the next day to say they had seen the News Shopper’s website and were so impressed by what they read about Tom that he would be invited to play after all.” Tom, who will be the only Britain playing in America, has been receiving fine tuning from Andrew Brookes at the London Club, in Ash, near Brands Hatch, to give him the best possible chance of success.

Steve added: “The San Diego event is over three rounds, with the top 25 making the cut after the first 36 holes.

“San Diego is a short course and Andrew has been working extensively with Tom to sharpen up that aspect of his game.

“Not wishing to undermine the work that any of Tom’s previous coaches have done, in the two-to-three months he has received one-to-one coaching from Andrew, Tom has learned and improved so much.

“Andrew is, in my opinion, one of the best at coaching youngsters. He holds clinics for juniors on Saturday mornings and I would recommend him to anybody.

“We will be travelling to America five days before the event starts so that Tom can acclimatise himself with the course and get in as much practice as possible.

Tom’s progress under Brookes has been very evident in recent tournaments.

Partnering 13-year-old Charlotte Hope, who is from Bexley, he won the Memorial Trophy held at Poult Wood golf course, near Tonbridge. This was an open competition with many adult pairs playing, but Tom and Charlotte won by three shots to earn the privilege to have their names inscribed on the club’s honours board in the clubhouse.

Steve added: “Charlotte is an exceptional player, who plays for Kent and is pushing for inclusion in the England junior squad.

“I believe she has dropped her handicap mark by around a dozen shots in the last few months.” Tom, from Barnehurst, also carded an unbelievable round of nine-under par off his handicap of 24 to finish third overall in the Daily Telegraph Under-18 Order of Merit event, also held at Poult Wood, which had attracted a huge entry and was a brilliant effort for someone of his age.

He also played at Little Aston, a course near to the The Belfry, in a tournament run by the Golf Society of Great Britain.

In a field of more than 100 under-14-year-olds, Tom won his age group event by a staggering 14 shots, while finishing runner-up in the combined age group of the handicap competition.

However, it has not all been plain sailing for Tom, who won the 2001 National Wee Wonders’ title in sensational fashion, as Steve explained: “He came second in this season’s Wee Wonders’ qualifer, which was also held at Poult Wood, when only the winners qualifed for the final. But quite frankly he had a big off-day by his usual high standards.”

However, young Tom is more than useful with a rather larger kind of ball – a football – as Steve revealed: “He has just signed to play for Millwall’s under-nine academy side next season. “It was quite an achievement, with 250 youngsters being assessed by five coaches and Tom made the cut, you could say, to be one of the final 12 selected.” Steve then poured praise on Paul Martin, chairman of the Medway Group, saying: “I would like to thank him again for the continuous support, both financially and personal that he has given Tom and myself. “Paul, who will be escorting us to San Diego, has overseen the managerial side of Tom’s golfing affairs so far, with another 12 tournaments already booked throughout the rest of the summer.” I then learned that Tom and Steve are planning a rapid transatlantic return. Steve added: “America’s other top event, the USA Kids’ World Champion-ship is taking place in Virginia, which starts soon after the San Diego event. “Last year, Tom came sixth in the Virginian event when only one shot behind the runner-up, despite having a mare of an opening round which left him way down the leaderboard. “But he showed his true form in the final 18 holes with a round of three-under, which was bettered only by one other player. “I have made contact with event officials and I’m currently awaiting their reply to see whether Tom has been included.”