Rancho Bernardo golfer headed to Kids Golf World Championships

Darien Zhao, a 7-year-old from Rancho Bernardo, is packing his bags to travel to Pinehurst, N.C., this week to take part in the 11th annual U.S. Kids Golf World Championship.
The three-day World Championship, which starts today (Aug. 5) will feature boys and girls from ages 6 through 12, with competition among them separated into age groups.

There are 91 participants from California, including five from San Diego. Zhao, who is about to start the third grade at Westwood Elementary School, is the only Inland Corridor resident participating in the event.

He said he started playing golf about a year ago, after years of watching his father, Byrom, golf.

“I told him that I wanted to try it and he took me to Oaks North to practice,” Zhao said.

During his year taking part in the sport, Zhao has traveled to Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles to take part in tournaments.

He tied for third place at the Bobbi De Cosmo Memorial, held in June at the Carlton Oaks Country Club in Santee.

He qualified for the tournament by scoring under 45 in 9-hole tournaments that were also qualifiers for the championship tourney.

Zhao, who says his favorite golfer in Phil Mickelson, said he’s looking forward to the challenge of playing in the World Championships.

He said he’s also an avid swimmer and a soccer player, though he prefers golf.

“They’re both fun, soccer and golf,” he said. “But golf really takes a lot of focus and concentration and I really enjoy it. People may think it’s boring, but it isn’t.”

His mother, Tiffney Li, said she’s proud of how far her son has come after playing for only a short while.

“He’s been really excited about the trip,” she said. “He’s been counting down all month.”

For more information about the tournament, go to www.uskidsgolf.com.