9-year-old First Nation phenom off to international golf match in Northern Ireland

Connor Hanska, a nine-year-old golf prodigy from Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation, is getting ready to tee off against the world's best junior golfers in a tournament in Northern Ireland.

Hanska will be among 250 of the top golfers from more than 40 countries, who are competing at the 2025 Champion of Champions World Championship tournament. It's being held at the Lough Erne Resort Golf Course, in Enniskillen, roughly 172 kilometres northwest of Dublin, from July 29-31.

The resort features two championship courses that Connor will play during the tournament, including 18 holes designed by Sir Nick Faldo, six-time major golf champion. Golf superstar Rory McIlroy also has ties to the course.

Connor, who lives in western Manitoba but is a member of Whitefish Lake First Nation in Alberta, qualified for the tournament through the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, a nationwide organizing body for junior golf.

A series of tournaments throughout the 2024 season gave Connor the opportunity to earn a ticket to the 2025 edition of the Champion of Champions tournament.

"It's really important because it's one of the best tournaments in the world," Connor told CBC Indigenous before leaving for Northern Ireland.

Connor is the youngest of six siblings, and is coached by his older brother Bryce.

"He was helping me, seeing if my stance and everything was good," Connor said.

He's also learned about golf from his father, Doug Hanska, who runs a TikTok account for him called "Hanska Golf," where he posts videos of his son's swing and progress at tournaments.

Doug Hanska said he's not surprised by his son's success.

"He probably started [playing] as soon as he could swing a club and walk," Doug Hanska said.

And his friends agreed that Connor would likely have a future in the game. They said: "Holy man, you need to look up some stuff because you may have the next Tiger Woods on your hands."

Connor's mom, Destiny Jackson, understands Connor has something special when it comes to his golf talents, but also recognizes that he has the mindset to become a champion.

"I'm really impressed. Like, I really don't know how he has the mindset and the practice. He practices every day. You have to have a whole different character to do something like that."

Others agree that Connor is a force to be reckoned with on the greens. Sean Murray is the Director of Player Development with Golf Manitoba and he spoke with CBC Indigenous after viewing some of Connor's play,

"He looks awesome. Looks great off of the back swing position, a little bowed wrist, and comes down. Just winds through it and just rips it," he said.

"It's a gorgeous swing."