A five-year-old golfing prodigy will be 'putting' his all into a fundraising challenge, in memory of his dad.
Wigan schoolboy George Hughes lost his dad Dave when he was just 18-months-old, due to complications from a heart transplant.
George's grandad Tony Sedgwick bought the St Patricks Primary School pupil a set of plastic golf clubs and would take him to Wigan Golf Club to practise.
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Now aged five, George can drive the ball more than 100 yards, and has his sights set on being the next Tiger Woods.
Mum Louise, who is now training to be an organ transplant nurse, said: "While my husband was waiting for his transplant, my dad used to take him up to the golf with him.
"He was literally just going to the driving range and the putting green but one of the members at Wigan Golf Club just said, 'you don't realise how good he is for his age'.
"He goes to the driving range at least once a week, goes to practice area at Wigan Golf Club a lot and he does six holes sometimes. He's done a couple of nine-holes but it tires him out."
In the past three years, Louise has helped to raise £47,000 for the Heart & Lung Transplant Association - a charity that helped to care and support for the family throughout the time of Dave's transplant.
Louise added: "We've tried to be very open with George and if people ask he'll tell them that his daddy is in heaven or that he's in the stars.
"He gets sad at times but he's at an age where he understands a bit, but not fully.
"As he gets older he has started asking a bit more but he knows about the Heart & Lung Transplant Association and he'll tell people about it if they ask."
Next Thursday (October 14) George will attempt to hit 300 golf balls over a two hour period, at Trafford Golf Centre, to help raise more money for the charity.
Trafford Golf Centre have also pledged to donate 1p for every ball hit at the range, during the day. On average, 60,000 balls are hit per day at the centre, which would mean a donation of £600.
Trafford Golf Centre's director of golf, Pete Styles said: “George is proof of how much fun the game of golf can be for all ages, his passion and talent for the game is clear to see and his face lights up when he’s playing golf.
"I’m delighted he’s enjoying his golf lessons with one of our Senior PGA Professionals, Nick Holmes.
"Inspired by George and his family I’m proud that on Thursday October 14 we will be hosting this charity day on behalf of the Freeman Heart & Lung Transplant Association.
"We will be donating 1p per ball and on a good day we will hit around 60,000 balls, so we invite everybody to join us and George to have a whack in aid of this brilliant cause."
The day will have added significance for George's grandad Tony.
He added: "We're so pleased that the Trafford Golf Centre team is supporting the Freeman Heart & Lung Transplant Association, who help people from all over the UK and look forward to being part of their charity day, and to be around to discuss the importance of organ donation."
"Thursday October 14 also happens to be my birthday, and I've set up a Just Giving Page to support Trafford Golf Centre's kind gesture because George wants to do a fundraising challenge on the day of trying to hit 300 balls over a two-hour period, between 3pm-5pm."
To donate to George's JustGiving page, click here.
