Wayne Hachey, the former head professional at the Osoyoos Golf Club and founder of the Desert Golf Academy, announced last week that talented local golfer Scott Rausch, 17, is the latest youngster to be invited to Spain as part of the Create a Star program Hachey founded five years ago. Rausch will assist Hachey with several events on the Evolve Professional Golf Tour in Spain. He will compete in a couple of events and be exposed to everything that is involved in organizing and running a professional golf event. (Keith Lacey photo)
Because his father is a professional pilot, Scott Rausch has been blessed to be able to travel more than your average teenager, but none of his excursions has him as excited as he is about his upcoming trip to Spain next week.
Rausch, 17, has been selected to travel to Spain to assist Wayne Hachey, the founder of the Desert Golf Academy and former head professional at the Osoyoos Golf Club, as part of the Evolve Pro Golf Tour.
Five years ago, Hachey established a program called Create a Star, where he would take one local junior golfer to accompany him to Spain to spend several weeks exposing them to the wonderful world of professional golf.
Hachey and Rausch will be heading to Spain on Feb. 8 and will spend just over one month helping organize several professional tournaments.
Rausch will not only get to compete in one or two events, but he will assist Hachey in all aspects of organizing and running professional events on the Evolve tour, which has quickly become one of the best developmental professional golf tours in Europe.
“Not only will Scott get to play in a couple of events, but this is all about exposing him to professional golf and what these players do to get prepared to compete,” he said. “When he’s not playing or observing, we’re going to keep him really busy doing all the things involved in helping organize a professional event.
“He will be doing things like setting up the course, marking the course, scoring, promoting the event … those sort of things. We’ll keep him busy for sure.”
Rausch was an easy choice for the Create a Star program because he’s proven himself to be an outstanding young golfer and quality person, said Hachey.
“The biggest reason I chose Scott was because he’s a good kid,”’ said Hachey. “I was going to select him last year, but I felt he was perhaps a bit too young, but I think he’s ready now and I’m looking forward to spending the next month with him showing him all the ropes.”
Rausch said he’s very much looking forward to his first trip to Spain and learning about all that is involved in promoting, organizing and running a professional golf tour event.
“I sort of thought Wayne was going to pick me last year, but that didn’t happen, so I was pretty excited when he told me just before Christmas that I would be going this time,” he said. “I’m pretty excited and really looking forward to it.”
Rausch has travelled to other parts of Europe and Asia as well as Mexico on more than one occasion and he’s really looking forward to soaking up Spanish culture as part of his trip.
“I know Wayne’s going to keep me pretty busy, but it should be a great time,” he said.
Rausch plans on following in his father Rob’s footsteps and becoming an airline pilot – he’s been accepted into the aviation program at Mount Royal College in Calgary in September – but he would also like to pursue opportunities in golf as well.
“If you become a professional pilot, you get a lot of time off work,” he said. “I would like to look into becoming a golf pro and maybe being able to work around here (South Okanagan) during the time I’m not working as a pilot.
“One way or another, I would love to be involved in the game of golf,”
Hachey and Rausch will have a very long day on their way to northern Spain as they fly from Kelowna to Calgary to Frankfurt, Germany to Barcelona. Spain before driving to the north once they arrive.
Other local juniors who have benefitted from the Create a Star program include David Montreuil, Dylan Holz, Ben Petreny and Mitchell Kelly.
“Every one of the kids I have brought over there have really enjoyed it and they come back having learned a lot,” said Hachey. “I’m just really glad to have started this program and allowed some local kids to visit Spain and learn about professional golf.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
