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What Gajan is experienc ing isn't unusual for young sters entering the junior juvenile division. To compensate, he works on his short game, just like his namesake, Tiger Woods, did. “That’s where I can catch up with my opponents,” Gajan said. “I’m hitting the ball any- where from around 260 to 265 yards off the tee and the guys who are older than me are hitting it around 300 yards. That's a big advan- tage," Gajan said. To get distance, he tries to improve his swing speed. Working twice a week under Dave Woods, former Canadian Professional Golf Association teacher of the year, Gajan is attempting to increase his hitting distance, especially off the tee. Woods is the Golf Association of Ontario coach and director of instruction at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham. “It’s definitely been hard- er (to play) with guys who are older,” said Gajan, who just completed Grade 9 at Town Centre Montesorri School in Markham where they family once lived. r “This year is not a matter of how many wins he gets," Siva said. “He’s more or less being groomed this year because he's playing against older boys." Gajan and his father, Siva, know this season will be one of refining his game to meet the rigors of what lies ahead. That includes playing three and four-day rounds of golf and carrying his own bag rather than using a pull cart. By doing so, the kid they called ‘Little Tiger’ is competing on the fairways against rivals who are older, up to 18 years of age, and physically stronger. Now 14 years of age, the Ballantrae resident has moved up the competitive ladder and is making his debut in the junior-juvenile ranks. BY MIKE HAYAKAWA Staff Writer Gajan Sivabalasingharn has won his share of golf tournaments on youth cir- cuits over the years. This year, however, is one in which any titles claimed he will have truly earned. l8 WM-WIWMMJM Little Tiger plays with big boys "Being. 14 years. of age Ballantrae’s Gajan, 14, holds own with older players at qualifier While Gajan hasn’t won any tournaments this sea- son, he's pleased with the way he's performed. "It’s been pretty good. I really can't ask for too much,” he said. Providing Gajan contin- ues to work on the things he needs to do on the fair- ways, Woods remains opti- mistic by the time he turns 15 or 16 years old, he will be extremely competitive in the junior-juvenile ranks. In addition to that event, Gajan will compete in the GAO Junior Championships at Whitevale Golf Club in Pickering after earning an exemption by winning last year’s GAO bantam title. He qualified for the GAO '5 match play championships next week at the Batteaux Creek Golf Club near Collinâ€" gwood. The lessons paid off at the Golf Association of Ontario’s Junior Match Play Regional Qualifier at Bushwood Golf Club near Stouffville Mon- day. During the one-day, 18- hole event, Gajan fired a three-under par 69 and fin- ished fourth. “When you’re in Grade 8 you’re in charge and sud- denly when you’re in your first year of high school you’re a little freshman,” he said. in golf is a tough year for anybody. It’s definitely an adjustment year for Gajan. He was the bantam provin- cial champion last year and now at 14 years of age he's playing against guys who are 15 and 16 years old. At 14 you are kind of behind the eight ball. There’s very few 14-year-olds who can beat lS-year-olds," Woods said. It's like a student going from elementary school into high school, Woods said. The lessOns paid off at the Golf Association of Ontario’s Iunior Match Play Regional Qualifier at Bushwood Golf Club near Stoufirville. SPORTS STAFF PHOTO/MIKE BARRETT Gajan Sivabalasingham of Ballantrae made the cut at the Ontario Junior Match Play Qualifier at Bushwood Golf Club in north Markham Monday. Stouffville Sun-Tribune “One night we went out for dinner and a bunch of people came up to talk hockey with us for a couple of hours,” he said. “They make you feel wanted. It’s pretty cool.” One week into his new digs, Gubb is impressed. “Ever since I was in Grade 10, I wanted to go to British Columbia and go to school out there, and since they are hosting the RBC Cup next year, it was a dream for me in wanting to go there,” he said. The Grizzlies' interest was heightened after they watched Gubb captain a team at the Prospects Tournament in Boston this spring. After scoring 11 goals and 17 assists during the regular season and three goals and five assists in 15 postâ€"season games last year with the Spir- it, the six-foot, two-inch, 210- pound forward initiated talks with the Grizzlies in April. Gubb is assured of playing in the RBC Cup because the tournament will be held in Victoria. “It's like a dream come true. It’s one of those things, a once-in-a-lifetime oppor- tunity," Gubb said Monday from his Victoria home. While the 19-year-old Markham native has two years of Tier 2 junior A eligi- bility remaining, he won’t ful- fill his dream in the Provincial Junior A Hockey League with the Spirit. He will as a member of the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League, who acquired him from the Spirit for future con- siderations last Thursday. BY MIKE HAYAKAWA Staff Writer In the two seasons Tyler Gubb played with the Stouffville Spirit, his aspiraâ€" tions of playing in the RBC Cup came up short. Geiger, who graduated from Stouffville District Secondary School and will attend Notre Dame University later this year on attack and field scholarship, placed sixth in her heat. The top‘two finishers in eaehiof the three heats along with the next two fastest runners advanced to the final. Geiger advanced to' the semifinals after running her quali fying heat in 55.13 seconds Thesday. During her heat, Geiger finished fourth. But for the 17â€"year-old Stouffville resident, her time 54.50 in her heat did not enable her to qualify for the final. Natalie Geiger ran a personal best in the 400 m at the 121h IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships in Bydgoâ€" szcz, Poland, Wednesday. Geigermisses final at worlds despite personal best time Spirit loses ‘captain’ to RBC Cup hosts Spirit general manager For more on the championships, log on to: www.iaaf. org Gubb will study business at the University of Victoria. “My goal is to get a schol- arship after next season," he said. “If I can get it and help the team win the RBC Cup that'll be awesome.” “It’s” a big loss for us. But we’ve got to try and regroup," Ioslin said. The Grizzlies are excited. “Tyler is a big, strong, high- energy player who is willing to do whatever it takes to win,” Grizzlies GM Jackson Penney said in a release. “When we had the chance to make a deal for him. there was no hesitation from our group." “Tylerwas a great team guy. But he had his hean set on going out west. It was school first for him and we didn't want to hold him back. The Spirit tried to per- suade Gubb to remain and were going to name him cap- tain this summer, Ioslin said. and associate coach Mark Ioslin acknowledged Gubb's loss is large. The Spirit lost several top-end forwards from last year’s North Conferâ€" ence finalists, including New York Islander draft pick Corey Trivino, captain Randy John- ston and NCAA-bound James McIntosh and Mark Sullivan. TYLER GUBB: Ex-Spirit for- ward will play Jr. A hockey and attend university in Victon‘a.