For most Year 10 students, after school hours mainly consist of homework, Facebook and Call of Duty.
But Bailey Goodall isn’t your regular Year 10 student.
After completing a day’s school, the 16-year-old makes his way straight to Shepparton Golf Club where he spends the next three hours before the sun sets either ironing out his swing on the driving range, perfecting his short game on the putting greens or working his way through a few holes on the course.
This routine has delivered incredible success for the young golf prodigy in the early stages of his budding career, having already twice represented Australia at the World Junior Championships in San Diego and Las Vegas, and become the youngest winner of the Victorian Country Region Championship and Shepparton Golf Club Championship.
With his eyes set on a career on the US PGA Tour, Bailey recently enjoyed a taste of life as a professional golfer, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Hannah Green while playing in the recent TPS Murray River tournament at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
While he didn’t come away with the result he would have hoped for, Bailey said the experience of being involved in the tournament would be invaluable for his development moving forward.
“It was fantastic to play with the pros and a fantastic experience for me; I played the one in Rosebud and it has given me great insight into how good they actually are,” he said.
“For me, I just take it as a massive learning experience — I see what I need to work on and it makes me realise the level that I’m at.
“I didn’t play that well, but I did learn a lot of stuff and by being able to talk to the pros, they taught me about how to handle playing in those big tournaments, which will definitely help me.”
Having been part of such a large-scale tournament, Bailey said it only made him more excited for what his future could potentially hold as a professional golfer.
“It made me a bit more comfortable around the crowds. When I first started playing big tournaments I was a bit uncomfortable, but now having experienced it a bit I have gotten used to it.
“It was a bit strange hearing from people that I know that they saw me on TV — it kind of added to the pressure a bit, but I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
“My goal is to get on the US PGA Tour and, playing with a couple of guys who are at the level on the weekend, it made me realise just how good that lifestyle would be and really motivated me to get to that level.”
With the TPS Murray River tournament serving as the crescendo of Bailey’s busy summer, he has been hard at work playing in a host of different tournaments such as the Victorian Masters of Amateurs.
He said this period of consistent tournament play had done wonders for the development of his game.
“Along with the Masters of the Amateurs and the pro stuff, I have also competed a lot more in the junior stuff and been towards the lead, so it has been a good indication that I am slowly getting better.
“I have learnt how to play a little better and score better in tournaments rather than just have a hit on the range — learning how to compete has been massive for me this summer and I feel my game has just improved all round.
“There are still some bad rounds, but the average is getting better.”
Carrying the reputation as a prodigy around Shepparton Golf Club, Bailey said it was something he takes in his stride.
“It is a bit strange, but it doesn’t feel that weird to me, for me personally it is just normal,” he said.
“It feels pretty good that people see me in that way, it gives me a lot of positive reinforcement that I’m on the right track and one day I will get where I want.”
Published in the News on March 3, 2022.