Laura, 9, and Tyler, 13, blitzed the 2024 Western District Riverina Golf Association JOM (juniors on the move) series, finishing first and second.
This weekend, the pair are headed to Yarrawonga to start the next stage in their rise.
It obviously runs in their blood – their mother (who is also their current coach, taxi driver and fan squad) Nacole has been a club champion at RRGC.
Before school returned, Team Horneman was back at the driving range earlier this week, making the most of the last days of their holidays and getting in a few buckets of balls as they prepared for the weekend.
Tyler stepped up, and after a few warm-up swings happily smacked a ball 200m down the driving range.
He and Laura both agreed they love hitting from the tee – he consistently averages 175m and more while his little sister is good for 150m on an average day, their mother says.
After the five rounds of the WRDGA JOM Laura topped the ratings with a combined 190 points (made up of two victories and two top-five finishes) with Tyler right behind her on 160 points from two runners-up, two top-fives and a top 10.
Finishing third in the series was Connor Tyrell on 140 points.
Nacole says her children have both taken to the game with a passion – Tyler has been playing since he was about six and Laura took it up as a five-year-old.
“They are quick learners and hit the ball almost as far – and sometimes further – than I do, and they never seem to mind the travel involved to get to the junior tournaments,” she said.
“If only they were as keen on their homework and keeping their rooms clean.”
Laura describes golf as “fun” and says her next goal is to be able to outdrive mum every time she steps up to the tee.
She is also part of a weekly junior squad under Jody Fleming (which Tyler has also now joined) which teaches these talented youngsters the basics of the game, how to manage their way around a course and vital skills such as club selection and learning how to play the course, not let the course play you.
“We play as much as we can, and I really love it,” Laura adds.
“Mum is coaching me and while driving is my best part of the game now, I know I will have to improve the rest,” she says.
While Tyler is irresistibly enamoured with belting the ball as far as he can, his mother/ and coach confides that his strength right now is his short game.
He doesn’t necessarily agree, but admits he loves getting close to the green and then pitching the ball high into the air to land it on the green – and close to the hole.
“We do a lot of practice, and play most weekends, so it has been a good way to spend the holidays,” Tyler explains.
“The weekly clinics are good, but best of all is the driving range and then getting into games,” he says.
There might have been more to the story, but the brother and sister already had a big bucket of balls beside them and the driving range was only 20m away so as soon as no-one was looking they had grabbed their buggies and bolted.
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