The Afro News, Vancouver : Their dream of becoming Golf Champions continues to unfold as Brother and Sister, Alex (15) and Sumie (13) Francois of Burnaby were both first place winners at the
British Columbia’s Juvenile Boys and Girls Champions at Crown Isle Resort and Golfing Community in Courtenay, British Columbia.
In a previous interview with the Francois family, Joseph Francois (Father) said ‘we did not know anything about Golf when the children were young; we got a book and coached the kids from the instructions’.
Alex got good at the sport by practising in the little space that Joseph and his wife were able to set up in their home. By age five, Alex had played his first tournaments. By six he was beating the scores of the 10 plus year olds. “Soon enough he was the best kid in his age group in Canada, and number nine in the world.”
Little Sumie, watching all this, soon stepped up to the tee as well. She has three world tournaments to her credit; as a seven year old at the Junior Worlds in Chicago, as an eight year old at the Worlds in San Diego and at 10, Best in the World, in San Diego.
Typical of kids, brother and sister try hard in school; enjoy their playtime outdoors and in their electronic den. Unlike most other kids, Sumie and Alex are drawn to practice, and more practice, in a sport they both clearly have an aptitude and a passion for.
Dedication by children so young to play, to practice and to keep up their skills and improve is remarkable.
After their recent victory title Alex and Sumie commented ‘we just love to play Golf, we don’t care about the media attention and all the hype we just want to play golf’!
