(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Emory Muñoz, an 8-year-old from Lockport, has three ideas for what he might be when he grows up:
“Monster Jam driver, golf pro and a train driver,” he said.
Emory is well on his way to the second of those professions. The second-grader is a golf prodigy, whose first hole-in-one came last year.
“I hit a little draw off my pitching wedge,” he said. “It looked like it had a good line. My dad said, ‘It looks like it has a good line, we’ll see what happens when it gets up.’ We looked everywhere on the green — nothing. We looked in the hole, and the ball was in the cup.”
His second hole-in-one came three months later.
“The hole was, like, all backed up, so there were hundreds of people behind us,” Emory recalled. “I hit my shot. It one-bounced, two-bounced and rolled into the cup. And everybody was screaming, like, ‘Lets go.’”
Emory, who said he has about 40 medals he’s won at tournaments in Illinois, New Jersey, Florida, and elsewhere, is now the family’s ace leader now. Chuck Muñoz, his dad, said Emory’s never taken a golf lesson.
“He puts in a lot of hard work and has a lot of fun doing it, which is the most important part of all of this,” he said. “It’s been a really fun process to watch from the start to where we’re at now.”
Where they’re going next is Augusta National, because Emory is one of 10 boys under 9 nationwide to qualify for the Drive, Chip and Putt final this Sunday ahead of the Masters. Three other local kids will also compete: Ben Patel, from North Aurora; Martha Kuwahara, from Northbrook; and William Comiskey, from Hinsdale.
The contest will air live on the Golf Channel, and afterward Emory and the family get to stay to watch the best in the world practice on Monday.
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