The Tribune

EIGHT-year-old Bahamian golfer Liam Bethel produced two successive career-best rounds to finish tied for fourth in the Boys 8 division at the U.S. Kids Golf British Kids Championship, held October 27–28 at the Vale Resort in Wales.

Competing in his first major U.S. Kids Golf championship, Bethel opened with a personal-best nine-hole score of 41 on the resort’s Lake Course. He returned the following day to better that mark by three strokes, posting a 38 to secure a two-round total of 79, seven over par.

The performance placed the Nassau golfer joint fourth in a field of 12, just three strokes behind third place, and marked an encouraging step onto the international championship stage.

“I was really proud to go to Wales and represent The Bahamas,” Bethel said. “When I shot 41 on the first day, that was my best score ever. Then I shot 38 the next day, so I was really happy I could do even better.”

The young golfer had to adjust quickly to conditions far removed from those at home. Cold temperatures, wind and rain added another challenge to competing on an unfamiliar course.

“It was my first time playing golf in weather like that,” he said. “It was cold, windy and rainy. It was fun, but I had to concentrate on every shot.”

Bethel also enjoyed seeing another Bahamian golfer, Azaria Bethel, competing at the championship.

“It was really cool seeing Azaria there too,” he said. “We were a long way from home, so it was nice to see another player from The Bahamas.”

His result in Wales followed a second-place finish at a U.S. Kids Golf Miami Local Tour event earlier this autumn. Together, the performances have given the emerging Bahamian junior confidence as he takes on more competition overseas.

England’s George Rowell won the Boys 8 division with a seven-under-par total of 65, followed by Italy’s Pietro Salvati on 68. Arthur Realis-Luc finished third on 76, while Bethel shared fourth place with Vincent McMahon on 79.

Sport runs through the Bethel family. Liam’s father, Thomas Bethel, is a multiple Bahamian national amateur golf champion who represented The Bahamas internationally on numerous junior and senior national teams. His golfing career also took him to the highest levels of collegiate competition, followed by a brief professional career after university.

For Liam, his father’s experience provides a close connection to the demands and opportunities of competitive golf—from representing his country to testing himself against stronger fields overseas. Thomas’s progression through junior, collegiate and professional golf offers a valuable perspective as Liam begins his own journey in the sport.

The family’s sporting background extends to Liam’s grandfather, John Bethel, who played in the National Hockey League with the Winnipeg Jets.

Liam also credited the encouragement of his mother, Adelle Bethel, and grandparents John Bethel, Susan Kelly and Steven Kelly, along with his father’s support as his caddie.

“I’m so thankful for my family—my mom, Grampa, Grammy Q and Papa —for always supporting me, and my dad for being my caddie,” he said. “It means a lot knowing they’re all cheering me on.”

While proud of that heritage, Liam is beginning to build his own record—one tournament and one personal best at a time.

Next on his schedule are two U.S. Kids Golf Nassau Local Tour events at Baha Mar and the Ocean Club. He then plans to compete in the Mexico Invitational on December 12–13, followed by the Holiday Classic at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on December 21–22.

His longer-term goal is to qualify for the 2027 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in the Pinehurst area of North Carolina next July.

“I really want to get to the Worlds in Pinehurst,” Bethel said. “I know I have to keep practicing, but playing in Wales made me excited to play more tournaments and keep getting better.”