COOMA'S Mitchell Venables may very well be golf's next big thing with the 12-year-old slashing his handicap from 36 to 12 in just two years.
Venables has been riding high on the success of recent tournaments and has a number of trophies and merchandise to show for it.
His most recent success at the Jack Newton qualifying tournament in Bega last weekend will see Venables off to the Jack Newton state aged finals to be held in Bateman's Bay in July.
The rising star has not been playing long but regularly goes out on the course for a round with his dad Mark Venables.
"It's a fun game sometimes I beat Dad, it just depends on the day," Venables said.
Venables gets in as much practice as he can, playing every weekend and as a team in the junior pennants.
Idolising Tiger Woods because he is an all round good golfer, the seventh grader also finds the sport frustrating at times.
"It can be frustrating, if I'm having a bad game," he said.
There will be no excuses for having a bad game thanks to mum and dad's help to foster his golfing talent.
"They're building a driving range under the house, so I can practice there a fair bit," he said.
The fine form should keep coming and put him in a good position for the state-aged finals, but Venables knows some of the competition will be tough to beat.
"There are some good kids that play in the tournament."