It's been a busy summer for 11-year old Kade Johnson.
Johnson, a Yorkton-native and golfing phenom, has kept himself very busy in his first full season of competitive golf.
Participating in three tours; the Under-12 SGI CANADA Junior Order of Merit Tour, the Under-13 Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour and the Under-14 Canadian Junior Tour, has given Johnson a taste for competitive golf at a variety of levels.
Leading by a wide margin in the SGI CANADA Junior Order of Merit Tour standings, Johnson has also looked to grow his game by playing against much older golfers - some as much as three years his senior.
"It was really good just to learn from them," Johnson says.
With six tournaments left in the 2010 SGI CANADA Junior Order of Merit Tour, Johnson has already set his sights on goals for next season.
These goals include making his mark on the U13 level.
"(I want to) start placing next year in the 13-under, starting getting first, second or third," Johnson indicates.
He also has his eye on a first place finish at the SGI Canada Sask-atchewan Junior Men's Championship next year. Johnson came within three strokes of the title this season, placing second at the Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert on July 6-9.
"Next year I want to win it," he declares.
It's been a season of well-deserved accolades for Johnson. One of which was the "Comeback Award" which he received at a Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour event on June 30.
As Johnson explains, the award was given out on the basis of which golfer improved the most from one day to the next.
"If you have not a great day the first day, (it's for) whoever improves the most going into the second day," he recalls.
Johnson earned the designation by recording a whopping ten stroke improvement on day two from his first round score, 103 to 93.
"First day was actually my first day playing at the course so I was just getting used to the greens...The second day I knew what club to use and know where to place the ball in the holes," he details.
While shooting a 93 is very impressive, it still does not approach Johnson's best round of the summer. That was an 83 achieved earlier in the year in Saskatoon. A score made all the more impressive by the fact that the young golfer does not have a caddy helping him out on the course.
Johnson says that the ability to select the right clubs and approach different situations is one that he is getting better at as time goes on.
"It comes with experience."
Having won three of the first five tournaments on the U12 SGI Canada Tour, Johnson will look to continue his hot hand as the season's end draws near.
Six events remain on the tour calendar with the season wrapping up on the weekend of August 25-26 with the SGI CANADA Junior Order of Merit Tour Championship at the Deer Valley Golf and Estates and Royal Regina GC.
Even though the year is almost at an end, Johnson indicates that he will still work on his game quite a bit over the winter.
"In the winter I have a net setup downstairs. I'm hitting balls down there and working on my swing," he points out. ?
What other parts of his game is the young golfer looking to perfect?
Johnson says it's all about the mid-range and short game.
"Right now is more my chipping (and) my short game," he mentions.
With constant instruction from his Dad and occasional lessons from Deer Park Head Golf professional Allan Sauser, Johnson is optimistic that he will continue to grow as a golfer.
With all that he's accomplished so far, the sky is truly the limit.
