Although many kids play and enjoy golf, 11-year-old Brian Tillman of Chelsea has taken his love for the sport to a world championship level.
Today, he’s in Pinehurst, NC, competing in the U.S. Kids World Championship after winning the U.S. Kids Local Spring Tour in Michigan, which earned him a spot.
He’ll tee-off on one of the most iconic courses in the country, competing against about 175 youth golfers in the 12-year-old division. In all, there are over 1,500 kids from 50 countries in the tournament that runs from Aug. 2-4.
“Brian is a talented all-around athlete,” his dad, Adam Tillman, says, adding that “as soon as he could walk, he was swinging toy clubs and baseball bats inside our house.”
In fact, Brian was always more interested in playing sports than playing with toys, his dad says.
“We’ve just kept giving him opportunities in every sport as long as he’s having fun.”
Brian went to his first tournament when he was 5 years old and competed in a U.S. Kids event that was held at PineView Golf Course in Ypsilanti.
“We both knew nothing about what we were getting into and after it was over I asked if he had fun and he said, ‘Yes! Can we do more?’ and that’s how we got started in competitive golf,” Adam Tillman says.
Although Brian has been successful, neither mom, Carie, nor dad, Adam, push for top results in tournaments.
“We want him to continue to enjoy what he’s doing and show improvement over time, that’s the big picture and the results will take care of themselves,” Adam Tillman says.
In fact, Brian loves to play a number of sports — including basketball, soccer and baseball when he’s not working on his golf game.
“My wife and I are big proponents in not specializing in one sport especially at early ages and much of what we read supports this,” Adam Tillman says.
But this is Michigan, and the golf season is a short one, so they make the most of it.
To learn more about the championship, please click here.
