Most golfers want to win everything they enter but some tournaments are worth winning more than others as Wales Boys international Joe Jones discovered this week.
The big-hitting left hander won the inaugural Junior Dubai Desert Classic by two shots and that earned him, and the female champion, an hour-long clinic with Rory McIlroy on the range at the Majlis course.
The three golfers spent their time chatting and hitting balls, culminating with the two men hitting synchronised drives (see video below).
So whose tee shot went further?
“We we didn’t have a Trackman but it would have been close,” said the 18-year-old, who is planning to base himself in Dubai until the end of April.
The Langland Bay player, who did not know he was going to meet the four-time Major champion until the morning of the extra special clinic, got a fascinating insight into the global superstar’s day-to-day demands as well as working with him on every club in the bag.
“When you spend that time with him you realise there is so much more to being the best player in the world than just the golf.
“All-told he spent close on two hours with us and then he had more media stuff to do as well. So it is funny to see that compared to amateur golf where there is not any of that.
“It was really interesting just to see him and his dismeanour at a tour event and how everyone else is towards him. He is a special player and everyone knows that. I got to spend some time on the range before I met him and speak to a couple of other players as well. He is treated differently to everyone else. They know he is special.”
Jones, who is based at Els and Jumeriah courses while he stays in Dubai, won the Junior Dubai Desert Classic at the Majlis course on Sunday thanks to rounds of 72 and 71.
At one point he led by five but Danish youngster Adrian Larsson came home strongly and recorded the lowest round of the competition (70) on his was to finishing second, one clear of his fellow countryman Viktor Kofod-Olsen.
Jones added: “If I’m being honest I didn’t play great throughout the whole weekend.
“I just managed to get around there ok and was good off the tee so didn’t have too many problems from that perspective. On that level I swung ok.”
The victory also means he has a place an Adidas Golf Junior 6s Tour event in Australia but his next major event is the Portuguese Men’s Amateur next month (Feb 8-11).