Keep an eye on Kiera Floyd

Golfing enthusiasts will be keeping a close eye on nine-year-old Kiera Floyd, a member of Benoni Country Club (BCC).

The Laerskool Van Riebeeck Park (Kempton Park) pupil has, in her short time playing the sport, picked up a number of accolades and highly impressive junior tournament wins.

Her collection of over 30 trophies is testament to her incredible golfing progress.

She picked up the game after her potential was spotted by club professional Damon Lochner, at the Country Club, where her mother, Shelly, is the tennis professional.

She first started playing competitively on the SA Kids Tour, in 2012, at the age of seven years, and placed third in her first tournament.

Last year, Floyd’s form grew tremendously and she was moved up from the seven to eight years age group to the nine to 10-year-old age group on longer courses.

Since moving up to the age group she has gone on to win 20 tournaments on the SA Kids Tour, which includes European and world qualifiers.

She also lifted the first place trophy on her international tournament debut at the Longniddry Club, in Scotland.

The BCC youngster then picked up another first place at the first ever African Challenge (a US Kids/SA Kids, PGA sanctioned event), in August, 2013.

The year 2013 was very successful for Floyd and she again finished as number one on the Order of Merit in her age group.

Fast-forward to 2014 and the young golfer is already achieving great things.

She is playing in the nine to 10-year-old age group and the 11 to 12-year-old division.

In May she became the women’s club champion at Benoni Country Club, defeating many older and experienced club golfers on her way to the title.

She will now play at the World Kids Championship, on the Longleaf Course, in North Carolina, USA, at the end of July.

“I am looking forward to going to the USA because I want to beat those girls and I want to win; I’m also looking forward to having a swim in the big swimming pool at our hotel,” she joked.

Floyd knows that her competition will be tough in North Carolina and she is hoping that her strong long game will lead her to victory.

She is so determined that she has already set her sights on becoming a professional in five years time, but will need to qualify for and win many tournaments in order to do that.

She is also aiming to win the SA Women’s Open in the future.

The Stix and Stones junior golfer thanked her coaches, Lockner and Johary Raveloarison, for their continued support, and also expressed her gratitude to all the BCC members, who have been incredibly supportive of her.