Is This Six-Year Old The Next Tiger Woods?

Kyle Lograsso is a normal six-year old with an extraordinary talent for golf. With a stroke that resembles that of golf maestro Tiger Woods, he is being hailed as a prodigy in the golfing world. What makes his talent even more remarkable, is the fact that this spunky youngster can see with only one of his eyes!

Kyle's golf saga began when he was only two years old. Fooling around with a TV remote, he switched to a channel showing a golf tournament. Mesmerized, he immediately started to practice his 'stroke' with a stick he found. Seeing his fascination with the game his parents indulged him with a plastic golf stick and watched in amazement as this young boy, still in diapers, whacked the ball like a professional. While neither knew much about the game, they both realized that their son seemed to possess a natural talent.

However, before they could give it much thought, Kyle was diagnosed with Retinal Blastoma, a rare form of cancer, that results in tumors around the eyes and could be fatal if not treated right away. Unfortunately, by the time the cancer was diagnosed, there were so many tumors around Kyle's left eye, that the opthalmologist had no choice but to remove it and replace it with a prosthetic eye. After that, Kyle spent six months in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy to get rid of the rest of the diseased cells. But his parents recall, that throughout this time, no matter how weak Kyle was, he never lost his passion for golf and seemed undeterred by the fact that he could now see with only one eye.

When he came home, Jeff his father, decided it was time to take him to a real golf course and get him a professional coach. However, very few coaches were ready to look at the little boy, let alone teach him. All except one, asked Jeff to wait until Kyle was five. When Bob Huber, director of instruction at the Ledarch Golf Club saw Kyle play, he knew he had a special kid - not only because of his stroke but also because Kyle didn't let his handicap deter him in any way.

Since than, Kyle has become quite famous and has appeared on various national television shows and been the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine articles. When Kyle turned six on May 28th, he was honored with the Dennis Walters Courage Award, which is given to an individual who overcomes many obstacles to participate in and contribute to the game of golf.

When he is not playing or watching golf, Kyle is a typical younger brother who loves to harass his teenage sisters. He recently took off his prosthetic eye and put it in one of his sister's cereal bowl - and got a great chuckle when she screamed in horror! He also loves to play video games - Of course, they are all golf games featuring his idol Tiger Woods.

Kyle also helps raise money and awareness for Retinal Blastoma and even has a charity set up for it. To read more about this truly amazing kid, his charity and his father who is a Sergeant with the US Marine and currently stationed in Iraq, check out their website at www.kylelograsso.org.

Sources: post-gazette.com, kylelograsso.org