Many young golf hopefuls as well as adult golfers underestimate the importance of engaging a professional club fitter to optimize their game.
Not so with Julian Hacker and 2011 Reichswald Nürnberg Club Champion, Keanu Jahns, shown here together with GOLF DEPOT - GREAT DEPOT Philippines owner, Jose Mendoza. Hacker, who captains the GERMAN BUNDESLIGA club Am Reichswald Nürnberg, visited Keanu on a tour through Asia.
Thanks to Philippine golf entrepreneur Joey Mendoza, Philippine junior golfers and golf aficionados have easy access to the best professional fitter in the country, PING & GOLF DEPOT. Mendoza also represents PING in the Philippines.
Commented Jahns Sr.: "We're grateful for Joey Mendoza's dedication towards the development of Junior Golf and it is just great to rely on GOLF DEPOT's state-of-the-art PING FITTING STUDIO. This has undoubtedly contributed much to Keanu's success."
GOLF DEPOT - GREAT DEPOT Philippines and PING recently refitted Keanu under the watchful eyes of his coach, PING Master Teaching PRO, Mic Que. Adjustments needed to be made, since the 16-year old now stands close to 6 feet 2 inches and is gaining in strength.
German National Coach, Ulrich Eckhardt, who appointed Keanu as a satellite member of the German National Team AK18 last October, had prescribed a detailed work-out schedule during Keanu's bio-metric analysis, and the teenager now spends considerable time in the gym.
In the meantime, Mendoza's PING FITTING CENTER analyzed Keanu's swing data, resulting in an upgrade of Keanu's shafts for his driver and irons. While the youngster will continue to compete with this PING I-15 irons, shafts have been changed to Rifle Project X 6.0. Likewise, his driver has been refitted with an Tour AD EV-7X shaft and the new PING G20 head.
And although little time was left for Keanu to get used to his new PING driver, the Reichswald gunner, playing his first tournament after returning from 6 months of weekly competition in Europe, again made the cut in a major professional event, the Philippine Golf Tour's 2011 ICTSI BDO CANLUBANG Golf INVITATIONAL.
Competing alongside ASIAN TOUR players Artemio Murakami and Cookie La'O, Philippine Champions, Jhonnel Ababa, Mhark Fernando, Ferdinand Aunzo, Cassius Casas and former World Junior Golf Champion, Carito Villaroman, Keanu held his own.
Paired with Philippine golf great Cassius Casas, Keanu's 1st and 2nd day rounds were littered with bogeys, but the daring youngster, who turned 16 in September, produced an eagle putt on both days on Canlubang's South #18, as well as a couple of birdies to still tally his cards at 3-over par and 1-over par respectively.
He previously also made the cut at age 15 in his very first PHILIPPINE OPEN, held at Valley Golf & Country Club in late 2010.
To top it off, Keanu also scored his 3rd hole-in-one and his first at Alabang Country Club on December 3. ACC's hole #15 is considered one of the most difficult par 3's in the country and the last time a golfer scored a hole-in-one on this hole was in 2006.
Selecting his PING I-15 seven-iron with the newly installed PROJECT X shaft for the 180-yard shot into the wind, the youngster faded his ball to within a few feet left of the pin, from where the ball spun and rolled into the cup. What a lucky shot, or was there also some skill involved...
Keanu's next tournament will be the Chairman's Cup at Alabang Country Club on December 10, followed by the 2012 Philippine International Junior Championship at Ayala Greenfields from January 4 to 7, 2012.
In the meantime, the Reichswald Champion is practicing hard with his new equipment and also put in a good round at 69, while showing his Reichswald captain Julian Hacker a good time at Splendido Taal Golf Club and Tagaytay Midlands.
