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TALENTED Taimur Malik is an enthusiastic golfer; he eats, sleeps and breathes it in more ways than one.
He doesn’t cuddle a teddy bear or his favourite toy … he prefers to travel to the land of nod clutching his prized putter.
And the nine-year-old’s dreams of becoming a professional golfer are now swinging in the right direction as he prepares to play in an international competition staged in Europe next month.
He said: “I love everything about golf and I want to become a professional just like Irish golfer Rory McIlroy.
“I practice at least three-hours-a-day and I go to the gym with my dad to stay fit. I do lots of push-ups.
“I know it sounds funny but I have slept with my golf clubs for a long time. I live for the game and will keep working hard at it.”
In recent weeks Taimur has been winning weekly tournaments against other young golfers and only last week picked up the first prize playing with adults at the Royal Golf Club at Riffa Views.
The British School of Bahrain student, from Hamala, will be teeing off with the best-of-the-best junior players in the European Wee Wonders Open Golf Championships, for children aged between five and 12.
Throughout the year there have been a number of regional qualifiers held over 9-holes in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales leading to the Grand Final in St Andrews, the ‘Home of Golf’ on August 25 and 26.
Taimur’s astounding playing prowess has won him an invitation to the final stage of the contest. Royal Golf Club teaching professional Tim Backhouse, who has been training the youngster over the past eight months, sent an email to the organisers recommending him.
He said in the correspondence: “I am coaching a young boy who is, in my opinion, one of the best I have ever seen aged nine. The problem we have being in Bahrain is that it is very difficult to play in enough tournaments.
“Taimur has shot 95 on a course measuring 5,600 yards and I have no doubt he would get through your qualifying rounds. I really think we have a special talent here.”
The organisers welcomed Taimur with open arms and now he is busy training six-days-a-week to take on youngsters that have been playing in exclusive golfing schools for events such as this.
Meanwhile, he is also competing in the VIVA Junior Saturday Series at the Royal Golf Club and not surprisingly has won the under-12 category for six consecutive weeks.
And the pairing of Naeem Khan and Malik won the penultimate week of the African & Eastern Monday Madness Night Golf Series at the Royal Golf Club. The pair scored a whopping 25 points in the Vegas Stableford format which involves betterball scoring from alternate tees. This was enough to beat the other 24 teams which took to the club’s challenging Montgomerie championship course.
“Well done to Naeem and Taimur on their win,” said Cormac Flannery, the club’s golf operations & events assistant manager. “They produced some fantastic scoring, especially considering that Taimur was playing off the men’s competition tees alongside the adults.”
Backhouse added: “Taimur is doing very well in the junior series and is currently leading the order of merit. I also think he will do very well when he plays in the Wee Wonders at St Andrews as he is one of the most talented nine-year-old boys I have ever come across.
“What sets him apart from other talented children is his dedication and work ethic. He not only practices six-days-a-week, on the weekend he is here almost all day, both days!”
When Taimur isn’t busy swinging his clubs in a tournament, you can find him catching a snooze with them, dreaming of golfing glory.
A few years back, he was living Egypt where he had his first golfing experience with his father, Navid, a 41-year-old banker.
Taimur held his first golf clubs at the age of two, plastic ones that were given to him as a birthday gift.
He would play with them in the buggy, watching his father taking on an 18-hole challenge.
Mr Malik said: “The first time we went to the golf course in Cairo he was three. I remember playing 18 holes and thinking he must be bored, I should take him back home. After playing four-and-a-half hours I said OK son let’s go and he said, dad, can I play more, can we stay longer? I was shocked.
“My wife Shahzadi and I immediately saw that interest in him and after we were transferred to Nairobi in Kenya for about three years, that is when he started to play golf regularly.”
His mum, who now spends her days watching over four-year-old daughter Yousra and driving young Taimur to his practice sessions, used to take him to the golf course in Nairobi which was only five minutes away from their home.
She said: “The golf course was lovely and he really got into the swing of things there. He would compete against other youngsters from across Africa and win!
“I love that he enjoys golf and I think he has a chance to go all the way in the sport because he now beats the older guys. He plays my husband and his friends at times and when he wins I am so proud.
“Golf is more than the game. I feel it’s helping to teach him discipline, for example his sleeping and eating habits are timed. He is learning honesty as well, which is one of the most important things in golf and sportsmanship.”
Taimur’s success on the course has also transferred onto his school work as he is one of the top three students in his class and a class councillor.
Mr Malik added: “My son has never had any trouble balancing golf and his school work. He works hard and then plays hard and we are very proud of him.
“He used to have a handicap of 28 and now plays 23. Also, thanks to Tim, he has really developed his game and his understanding of it.
“Up until about about a year back, I used to beat him and now it’s getting to the stage where he is starting to beat me.
Obviously as a father it’s something that I am proud of. It excites me that he loves golf as I was a passionate sportsman myself.
“If he has the passion and continues to work hard the sky is the limit for him.”
