Emerging Canberra golfer Josh Armstrong will spend his school holidays playing against men more than twice his age as he prepares to chase his professional dream.
The 17-year-old Burgmann College student stamped himself as a star on the rise when he annihilated the field at the Greg Norman Junior Masters on the Gold Coast last weekend.
Josh Armstrong won the Greg Norman Junior Masters last week.Credit:Melissa Adams
He beat the rest of the field by eight shots in his second tournament win of the year, joining the Greg Norman event honour roll that includes US Masters champion Adam Scott and Steven Bowditch.
But the win more importantly opens the door for Armstrong to test himself against men in the Queensland Open as he prepares for a jam-packed summer holiday.
Armstrong will play in the Queensland Open and hopes to earn starts at the NSW PGA and the NSW Open before setting his sights on Europe and the United States in the middle of next year.
"There are still a lot of things I have to work on and get right ... everything has to be ready for you to get to the professional stage," Armstrong said.
"I feel like I'm 95 per cent there, it's just about the little things right before I feel comfortable to make that next step.
"I've had a shot at the Australian Open the last couple of years and have narrowly missed. But I'm going to try to play as many pro events as I can [next year].
"That starts at the Queensland Open and I'll be away from Canberra for all but two days in January, so I'll take it as it comes."
Armstrong cruised to victory in the Greg Norman Junior Masters, finishing with a final round of three-under par to be eight shots clear of his nearest rival.
It capped off an impressive 2016 season for Armstrong, who finished second at the Aaron Baddeley International two weeks ago. Winning the event would have earned him a guaranteed spot at the Australian Open.
Armstrong will spend his holidays working on his golf game while his friends soak up time away from school.
But he says it's all part of his professional goal and he's willing to sacrifice time on the couch for a chance to start carving a career.
He is also aiming to make the inaugural junior President's Cup team next year.
The junior Presidents Cup will feature 24 of the best junior boys after the US and around the world, with the event to be played in New Jersey just days before the world's best men play at the same course.
"That's a little goal that I'm trying to achieve, that would be pretty cool," Armstrong said.
"I'll keep working ... On New Year's Eve I'm driving down to Melbourne for another tournament and then January is pretty packed.
"I don't mind it to be honest. If you're going to turn pro, then that's what you do."
Chris Dutton is the sports editor at The Canberra Times.