Page 45 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 140

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue 140 September 2024 45

The Next Generation of Golf Champions,

Joe and Sam Pilon

“I like that I don’t have to count
By Christine Ouellet on others to do well, If I win, I am
solely responsible, and if I lose, it’s
am Pilon, 16, and his brother my fault. Every day I try to be the
SJoe, 15, only started playing best and surpass myself. You don’t
golf two years ago. You can see the have anybody else to blame but
brothers practicing at the Cornwall yourself.”
Golf and Country Club, where they Sam is very motivated; he will do
are members, as often as possible anything to play golf and win, even
during a declining fourteen-hour getting up at 4 a.m. for golf. For now,
daylight period. Joe, according to he is looking forward to going back
Sam, is very talented. He participated to school. He will be in grade 11 at
in the Junior Club tournament and La Citadelle High School, which
finished 4th; Joe is also very good at offers a golf discipline, and he will
challenging his older brother Sam. participate in their golf tournaments.
In August, Sam won his first He is hoping to obtain a scholarship
Cornwall Gold Junior Championship to continue his education, play
in a tournament held at the Cornwall more golf and compete in the US…
Golf and Country Club. Sam says, maybe in the PGA…? For now, Sam
“My first day was really good. I shot gets the best he can from coaches
75 and did a few birdies, and I was Tristan Holder and Bobby Faro, two
happy. On the second day, I scored great coaches at the Cornwall Golf
76, got 2 birdies, and scrambled and Country Club.
well, which was also pretty good. Scoring an albatross
But the third day was not good. It
rained a lot, and I scored 82, which Sam Pilon humbly recognizes that
was disappointing. But I managed he is probably gifted when it comes
to win the championship. It is not to golfing. His recent performance Left to right, Joe and Sam Pilon. Photo Submitted
my first tournament, but it is the first reveals that he possesses exceptional
time I won a championship.” skills. On July 26th, at the Potsdam add good wind. You start with a Shelton scored one in March, over
Town and Country Club, NY, with strong drive and hit the ball long and 253 yards, and Shane Lowry, at
When asked what he likes about the Cornwall Men Junior Team, he straight off the tee. From there, it’s Farmers Insurance Open in January,
golf, he said, “Before, I was playing scored an amazing and very rare all about making a great approach went for the green in two from 256
baseball, but I started to lose Albatross. The chances of scoring shot and sinking a long putt. If you yards.
interest, so I tried golf, and I liked it. an albatross are 6 million to 1. To can do all of that, you’ll find yourself
Golf is a mental sport, if you want achieve this exceptional score, Sam with an albatross on your scorecard. Meanwhile, at the Paris Olympics,
to be good you have to stay calm, sank the ball in two strokes on a par- Rory McIlroy was denied an
and I am still trying to figure that 5 hole, over 175 yards with his drive If it sounds impossible to albatross. And Tiger Woods has yet
out. You can’t learn golf quickly, it and the #3 iron. accomplish, Sam Pilon scored one to score one. This is the pinnacle
comes after time, you just have to be in Potsdam last July, and so far this of golf, and a minority of golfers
patient and work hard. I practice just To better understand the difficulty- year, apart from him, Alan McLean get to experience the thrill of an
about every day; I am very serious intricacy of scoring this rare gem in did an albatross at the Canadian albatross. Its mystique continues to
about it. I started golf late, so I have sports history, and what it takes to GPA on August 1st. captivate golf enthusiasts. As they
to make up for it. I hate losing.” produce a score that defies the odds, For the USA GPA, research say, the next time you hear about an
you need a good mix of strength, albatross on the golf course, you’ll
In golf, you are alone on the green skills, extreme precision, a bit of shows that there have only been only know that it’s not just a bird; it’s a
and you compete against yourself. luck and, as an ex-sailor, I would 139 albatrosses in the US GPA tour
since 1983. In 2024 so far: Robby symbol of golfing greatness.