Anthony Whiting is just 16 years old, but is steadily becoming a key figure within B.C.’s golf community.
At age seven, Whiting tried golf when his regular basketball summer camps were unavailable. A week later, he was hooked. Since then, he has traveled to as far as Phoenix, Arizona to compete in tournaments, and in late April, he was victorious at the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) Maui Jim Series in Tsawwassen, B.C.
Whiting has been under the tutelage of former golfer and current coach, Bryn Parry. Parry’s accomplishments as a golfer include being a six-time Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of B.C.’s Player of the Year, participating in three Canadian Opens and winning the PGA championship of Canada. “Since I’ve started seeing Bryn, I’ve taken a huge jump in attention to detail and looking at every factor possible to elevate my game to the next level,” said Whiting.
Whiting credits his detail-oriented mindset to his relationship with Parry. “I would say Bryn was a key part of my golf progression, and I made it clear that I want to become the best golfer I can possibly be. He’s totally on board with that, and trying to push me in every way possible to become that.”
When asked what intrigued Parry about Whiting as a prospect, he said, “What’s fun for me is when I coach Anthony, I get to have adult level conversations with a teenage kid; he’s incredibly bright, and his skill level is so high that you’re not really coaching junior golf. You’re coaching a highly competitive player who wants to understand the concepts, works really hard, and has a passion for it.”
Vancouverites are used to bad weather. For golfers, though, this can be a major curveball in a competitive environment. Despite strong wind gusts and pouring rain over the two-day Maui Jim series, Whiting let The Cascade in on how he was able to conquer the physical environment, resulting in eleven-birdies, and winning the event by eight shots.
“As someone that lives in Vancouver, I’m not afraid of going and practicing in difficult weather,” said Whiting. “As I’ve progressed as a golfer, I’ve learned to both play in those conditions, and feel comfortable playing in those conditions, being able to practice and feel the same amount of comfort as if it was sunny, so I went into it thinking the exact same thing and trying to keep the exact same goals and the exact same mentality.”
Whiting and Parry aren’t just thinking about the weather; they’re dialed into the minutiae of the game. Every element that could affect the round is considered, including the drag on the ball depending on the elevation of the course. “The ball will naturally travel slightly further at higher elevation, so we take that into account; and also the temperature, and how that affects my golf swing,” said Whiting.
The calculations for each swing don’t end there. Even the turf he’s playing on gets the gears turning inside Whiting’s head. Different grass species grow in different climates, and their subtle differences have an effect. “It’s a process to learn how the golf ball and my golf swing reacts with the grass and how I have to be able to hit shots. Whether the grass grows into where I’m hitting the shot, or downgrain, or just all the different factors and variables that go in.”
Parry’s wealth of knowledge in the sport, along with Whiting’s inquisitiveness, have been keys to unlocking Anthony’s potential. “I’ve tried to challenge Anthony,” said Parry. “I keep telling him I’m going to push. I ask permission sometimes: ‘can I have permission to push?’ He’s a really, really smart kid, but he’s also growing. He’s getting way stronger. He’s getting way taller, and sometimes there’s the right time to try technique.”
Seizing victory at the MJT tournament ensures Whiting the opportunity to compete in the Callaway FCG World Junior Championships in Palm Desert, California this July, as well as the MJT Future Stars Invitational. The terrain of Rancho Mirage will test his adaptability yet again, with scorching temperatures and blistering summer heat.
“That will be a very fun tournament,” said Whiting, eager for the opportunity to compete on such a large stage. “Obviously it’s going to be very hot out, being July in California.” He’ll be packing lots of sunscreen and staying hydrated.
