MILTON, Ga. — Milton resident, Patmon Malcom, now 13, started hitting golf balls when he was 3-years old. For some reason, he just took to it immediately and hasn’t put down the club since. He started playing tournaments when he was 6-years old. As a true sports lover, he wanted to play every sport when he was younger. He played soccer every season and played tennis in the summer, but now his focus is golf.

The junior tournament schedule has taken Patmon all over the map and introduced him to so many new friends. He has played in 11 different states (GA, AL, SC, FL, LA, CA, TX, MO, IL, NC, and AZ ) and his friends are literally from all over the world. A lot of players outside the US come to America in the summer for some of the bigger events and after walking 18-holes together and grabbing a pizza after the round, they become really close.

Patmon has won over 100 tournaments in his 7 years of competitive play. A highlight of his career thus far was winning the US Kids Golf Player of Year Award in 2017. This is an award given to one male and one female player from the US between the ages of 6 and 12. His reward for this accomplishment was playing in the 2017 Honda Classic Pro-Am with Patrick Reed, the PGA tour player who won the 2018 Masters. Patmon was also a finalist for the Drive Chip and Putt National Competition at Augusta National where he was Runner-up in the 10-11 Boys Division. He was also a member of the Georgia PGA Junior League team that won the National Championship at Greyhawk in Arizona in 2019 and he just placed third at the 2020 Notah Begay National Junior Championship in Louisiana.

When asked what they would recommend to other parents whose kids want to get into golf, the Malcoms said, “If you have a son or daughter who’s interested in the game of golf, US Kids Golf Tournaments are a great way to start competing at a local level, when they’re ready. These matches are lots of fun and the best part is that parents get to be involved by caddying for their children.” Golf has provided the Malcom family with many memories and friendships that they will cherish just a much as the wins. With so much emphasis on the outcomes and wins, it’s nice to know that the relationships and camaraderie will prove just as important in the long run.

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