Winning ‘The Short Game’

Unless you follow children’s golf, you probably haven’t heard of them. They are Amari “Tigress” Avery, Jed Dy, Allan Kournikova, Zamokuhle “Zama” Nxasana, Alexa Pano, Sky Sudberry, Augustin Vallery and Yang Kuang — eight-and-under-year-old pro-golfers and the newest movie stars in Josh Greenbaum’s Netflix-original documentary, “The Short Game” (2013).

Directed by Greenbaum, edited by Billy McMillin, and produced by Rafael Marmor, “The Short Game” follows the 2012 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship at the renowned Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

“Winning there is the Holy Grail,” someone narrates, “so if you come out of there and win your age division, you’re the champion of the world.”

More than 1,200 golfers train 365 days a year just to compete in this annual three-day competition.

Tigress’ training includes 150 to 200 push-ups and sit-ups.

Kuang practices at his father’s office in China. Augustin has a golf course he sets up in his bedroom in France.

“She sacrifices sleepovers,” says Alexa’s dad, Rick. “Things like school dances, school plays, after school time, play dates, but that’s their decision. What they have in common more than anything is they have the passion to play a game and not get tired from it. And you can see when these kids are done playing, they are on the putting green. They don’t go home for five, six, seven hours. And you can’t pull them off the golf course. That comes from within.”

And it shows.

Alexa’s won more than 133 tournaments. Jed’s got 105 trophies and counting. Allan has 102-plus golf trophies.

Previous U.S. Kids Golf World Championship winners include Florida natives Allan and Alexa.

These kids are humble and confident, disciplined and ambitious, and wise beyond their years.

“You know, there’s some kids and when they have a bad hole, they don’t want to lose so they don’t get happy,” says Allan. “And when they don’t get happy, that’s the problem.”

“You’re not going to win every tournament,” says Sky.

They’re hard lessons to accept, but these kids play with grace and dignity. It’s hard to believe they’re just seven and eight years old.

“Do I really need a pep talk?” says Alexa to her daddy caddie, Rick, as she gets ready to compete. She’s won more tournaments than he has.

Since golf is an unpredictable, niche sport, this works to Greenbaum’s advantage. He’s able to build the suspense over the course of the hour-and-a-half documentary. The last ten minutes plays out like an intense game of Jeopardy as the winners of the 2012 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship are slowly revealed.

McMillin cleanly edits the documentary, incorporating driving music and synchronized putting. Kids tee off to the one-two-three steps of a short waltz. It’s fun and charming, but ultimately, we fall in love with these precocious and charismatic kids.

“I don’t feel like I’m giving up my childhood,” says Allan. “I just feel like golf is my childhood. I love it so much that I don’t feel like I’m giving it up.”

Greenbaum’s documentary lets us enter the presence of greatness. These kids have big dreams: fame, money and to be best golfer in the world.

They’re already halfway there.

“The Short Game” was directed by Josh Greenbaum. The 2014 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship took place last weekend.