Twelve-year-old Raphael (Raph) Anderson of Wānaka has finished in a respectable tenth position at the US Kids’ Golf World Championships in Las Vegas (June 27-29).

During the three-day tournament Raph shot rounds of 76, 77, and 76 to finish +13 and says he was happy with how he performed.

“I'm pretty happy about my golf,” he said.

“It was the coolest thing to find out that I can beat any of those kids there if I have a good day.”

Raph said he didn’t feel too nervous standing on the first tee on day one of the tournament.

“I was just thinking about the swing,” he said.

“I try not to think about the swing on other shots, but on that shot, it helps to think about the swing and then it gets your mind off everything else.”

Raph’s father Harley accompanied him on the trip and said the hardest part was the oppressive heat with temperatures reaching 42 degrees centigrade.

Raph ready to tee off

“All the kids were walking [carrying their own bags] and it got gradually hotter as the week went on,” Harley said.

“I could only give him water and food and talk and encourage him. That's actually extremely difficult in those conditions for anybody.”

With just three holes to play on the last day of the tournament, Raph told Harley he felt sick due to the heat.

“That was hard to hear as a parent, so I sat him down and he drank a whole Gatorade. He then went and birdied the hole.”

Raph said the whole trip was amazing including playing at the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego and visiting Disneyland.

He now has his sights set on the New Zealand Junior Open in October, and, as the Wānaka Golf Club’s Junior A open age group champion, he will compete at the Otago Champion of Champions event in August. 

Raph gained entry into the World Stars Junior Championship thanks to his performance at the South Island Under 13 Golf Tournament held in Cromwell in January 2023 and his result at the championship guarantees him entry to the tournament next year.

PHOTOS: Harley Anderson