A RISING star in the golfing world, Tavistock's James Ruth, is currently limbering up in preparation for a 100-holes-in-a-day marathon he will attempt this summer.
Early birds will be able to catch the 17-year-old scratch player on the first tee at Tavistock Golf Club as dawn breaks on June 19 when a team of volunteers will be following him round for the eight hours it is expected to take him to complete the task.
James, who started to play at the age of eight, is hoping to attract sponsorship to help with expenses as he enters his first full-blown British amateur season which begins this April.
A former student at Tavistock College, James has just been picked to join England's under 18 squad to train at the English Golf Union headquarters at Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire and is entering the period in a young golfer's life where sponsorship and support are vital if he is going to make the big time.
His father, Graham, who is also a scratch player, said many people had offered to support James and the 100-hole marathon was a way for his son to do something for himself.
'I set up a trust fund for James some years ago when he started to play in national events,' said Graham.
'The fund is administered by the Devon County Golf Union and is seen as a way to help up and coming youngsters.
'The money goes towards travelling, accommodation and entry fees in that transitional period between leaving school and getting established on the professional circuit.
'He has already had help from his own club, the county and local sports clubs but it gets very expensive when he starts to play the length and breadth of the country as well as Scotland and Ireland.'
James, who will have a team of caddies in support on June 19, including his mother and father, is confident he will achieve his 100-hole target.
'I may even carry on and do more if I feel all right,' he said. 'It depends on the weather — I just hope there isn't a heatwave on that day, if so, I will struggle and will have to drink gallons of water.
'I am practising hard at the moment, putting in about four hours a day after work, so I am used to hitting a lot of balls.'