Cole Sajonia, like many 9-year-olds, enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and by playing a variety of sports during the summer months. Basketball, baseball and soccer come to mind, but golf is the sport where the Joseph youngster really shines.  Sajonia, who has never had a professional lesson, was recently invited to play at the national level in the U.S. Kids Junior World championships held in Colonial Williamsburg, Va. July 31-Aug. 4. He qualified after taking first place in his age group at the U.S. Kids Tournament held June 24 in Eugene.. He shot a 40 for nine holes against approximately 18 competitors.

   The Joseph youngster also took home first place honors in two other tournaments so far during the 2002 season by posting wins in two Boise tourneys shooting a 46 and a 47.  Most of the youngster's tournaments are in Idaho because it is only four hours away.
   Sajonia's goal was to win three of the 13 tournaments he is scheduled to play in this season. Now he has upped that goal to five.
   " He takes it a day at a time,"said Cole's mom Teresa Sajonia. "We want Cole to do his best, but if he isn't having fun then he doesn't have to play," she added.

   In 2001 Sajonia played in ten tournaments in Oregon and Idaho combined. He qualified for the state tournament in Idaho and ended the season placing fourth in state.
   "We decided last year that it was time to expose Cole to other kids his own age that were golfers," Teresa said.
   The Idaho Golf Association for Juniors and the Oregon Junior Golf Association promote the sport of golf and make it fun, especially for the younger kids Teresa said. "There are kids that have never picked up a club that will be encouraged by positive feedback and re-enforcement at the
tournaments," she said.

   Cole's parents bought him a set of plastic clubs when he was one year old and he has been enthralled ever since. "I watched my dad ( Brian ) playing and thought it looked like fun," he said.
   At age 4, his parents purchased a junior set of little Titlest clubs for the youngster so he could get a grasp of what real clubs felt like. They started by taking him to the Eagle driving range in Joseph. " He just took a hold of the club with a baseball grip and had a lot of fun hitting the ball," Teresa said. 
   Now the youngster can drive the ball 180 yards off the tee.
   Every morning Cole starts off his day by putting on his Ping golf hat and donning a red shirt and khaki shorts, the same colors that his golf idol Tiger Woods wears." Tiger always wears "killer" red on Sundays," he said.

   Most of the time during the summer he is on the fairway sharpening his skills. "He'd be out on the course from sun up till sun down if he could," Teresa said. His parents trade off taking him to Alpine Meadows in Enterprise as time permits. Frequently Cole is hitting the greens with his golf
partner/baby sitter Kayla Miller.
   The youngster hasn't beat his dad yet but said that he was working on it. 
   "He would embarrass me out on the course," Teresa said. Cole's best scores to date are a 36 for nine holes and a 78 for 18.
   Cole said that the most important lesson that he has learned is that every shot counts. "The hardest part of golf is learning to chip and putt," he said.

   Maybe one day Cole will take the Tiger by the tail but for now he is satisfied hanging out at the golf course and playing away the days of summer before he enters the fourth grade at Joseph elementary next school year.

Copyright 2002 Wallowa County Chieftain. Photo by the author.