Campbell ... I want to make it to the international level. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

It is not usual for a young man from the inner city to parade his skills on a golf course, as this sport has been branded as a rich man's game.

However, Fabian Campbell, the national amateur champion, is on a mission to change this position and belief.

"I would love to see more inner- city kids playing golf because there are a lot of opportunities in it for them," said Campbell, who grew up in the community of Cassava Piece, which is a stone's throw away from the Constant Spring Golf Course.

He was employed there to retrieve the golf balls from the practice range at the age of 16. Campbell later became a caddie and this gave him the opportunity to develop his skills.

The 23-year-old was then invited to join the Constant Spring junior programme by Leiza Blakey, who was in charge of the juniors.

This enhanced opportunities for Campbell to develop his obvious talent, and soon he earned a place on the national junior team and represented Jamaica at the Caribbean Junior Championships in The Bahamas in 2004.

Challenges

Two years later Campbell, who grew up without knowing his father, lost his mother to illness.

He is the youngest of three brothers, one of whom is mentally challenged.

These challenges, though, have only strengthened his desire to succeed, by pursuing his long-time dream of becoming a professional golfer.

Campbell said he actually drew inspiration from his brother's illness to capture his second national amateur title on Sunday, at the Caymanas Golf Club in St Catherine.

"I was very confident going into this amateur championships. I was focused on winning this tournament, and knowing my brother is sick also helped to inspire me a lot to go out and perform," he said.

He said his aim is to help his bigger brother with his mental illness because he is determined to see him pull through.

Additionally, he anticipates there will be benefits from his latest triumph.

"I think that winning this tournament will do a lot for me because I think it will also help open some opportunities for me because, as a young man living in the Cassava Piece community, life is not easy," said Campbell.

Campbell has represented the national team on four occasions, the last of which came in the Caribbean Championships in the Cayman Islands a year ago, where he finished in fifth place.

Looking ahead to this year's renewal, he says the signs are promising.

"I think that we have a winning team going into this year's Caribbean Championships, based on our experience and the good tactical ability of all our players," he said.

Admires Tiger Woods

He admires Tiger Woods (the world's number one golfer) because of his hard work and dedication to the sport and thanks Shawn Campbell (no relation) for also helping him to develop his skills while working at Constant Spring Golf Club.

"I want to make it to the international level and I am very focused and I am working very hard to improve my game," Campbell said.

He will get additional exposure at the regional championship and is looking to cash in on its profile.

"I am hoping to put on a good showing at this year's Caribbean Championships in the Turks and Caicos," said Campbell.

robert.bailey@gleanerjm.com