Hopewell Junction 7 Year Old Heads to Kids Golf World Championship

A young Hudson Valley athlete will be competing for a trophy in North Carolina this summer.

BMV Sports is reporting that Kindergartener Mario Vilardi of Fishkill Plains Elementary School has qualified to play at the Kids Golf World Championship. According to the sports site, the Kids Golf World Championship welcomes golfers from 5 to 12 years old to ten championship golf courses in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Qualifying for the Kids Golf World Championship was no easy feat. The US Kids Golf Foundation explains:

Today, players start at a Local Tour level, and can advance as they improve to State, Regional, and even International competitions. The top-performing players, as determined by our Priority Status Rankings, can earn invitations to events above Local Tours up to and including the World Championship.

The Kids Golf World Championship also gives the younger generation and the next stars of golf a platform to show off their skills. This year's event will be helped from August 4th through the 6th.

Taking a look at the Tournament Field for the World Championships it looks as though Vilardi, who is 7 years old, will be playing the front 9 at Mid-Pines.Pros believe Mid-Pines is a "perfectly preserved course" and has become a "classic gem which has now played host to many national championships."

You can find more information and follow along on Mario Vilardi's Kids Golf World Championship status on the US Kids Golf Foundation website.

Congratulations Mario! We'll be cheering you on from home here in the Hudson Valley!