Mark WiedmerLike most parents, John Ford wanted to do all he could to help his 8-year-old son Conner advance to the Drive, Chip & Putt finals at Augusta National Golf Club on the weekend before the Masters begins.
But as he followed Conner around at The Honors Course in Ooltewah on Sunday morning, his son effortlessly launching 245-yard drives, laser putts and deft chip shots, he also wanted him not to depend too much on his father for help.
“I’ve learned,” he said, “that if you let your kids be, let them figure it out on their own, they’ll play better.”
And so it was that Conner Ford of Mount Vernon, Kentucky, is no longer just the quarterback on his elementary football team or a proud member of his town’s middle school golf team. Now he’s headed to Augusta thanks to a 124 total that just nipped Grayson Baucom’s 123.
“This is great, this is awesome,” said Conner, who said his favorite golfers are “Sergio Garcia and Freddie Couples.”