WHEN Illawarra golfer Jordan Zunic claimed his first professional victory at the New Zealand Open in March last year, his brother Kyle remembers bursting with pride from the family lounge room.
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Less than twelve months down the track and Jordan now shares the similar admiration for his younger sibling.
As he prepares to tee-off for another big year on the professional circuit, Kyle will fulfill his long-held dream of taking up a spot at the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport to play basketball.
“I am so happy for him because he is chasing his dream as well, just like I am,” Jordan, 24, said.
“To see him reach that level and be competing nationally against all the other players in the country, I am really proud of him. So are mum and dad and I am sure he is going to do well down there in Canberra.”
Kyle will move down to the nation’s capital on Monday to live and train with Australia’s best young players for the next twelve months.
After years playing in Illawarra, New South Wales and Australian elite junior teams, it’s the perfect reward for his efforts.
“Dad got it into my mind that you want to be down there with the best and training against the best, with the best coaches and that’s all I ever wanted to do so i’s great to be able to do it,” Kyle said.
Kyle, 16, hopes to use his time in Canberra to secure a spot on the Australian under-17’s team for this year’s World Championships in Spain before attempting to move over to the US for college.
“Going to play college is the main goal,” he said.
“By getting on that Australian team for Spain that will hopefully increase my exposure to all of the colleges and then I will have a look from there.”
While he attempts to make his mark, Jordan hopes to make an impression on golf’s professional circuit.
The rising star will fly out on Sunday to play in the Singapore Open, before jetting back for two tournaments on Australian shores.
He’ll then head to Miami to play at the World Golf Championship at Dural.
“It is definitely a big year for me,” Jordan, who saw his career hit a standstill in 2013 after a serious car accident, said.
“I have got a lot opportunities to play in a lot of big events against the best players in the world so it will give me a chance to really measure myself against them because that is really where I want to be. Hopefully this year i have the chance to increase my world ranking and get right up there.”
The whirlwind start to 2016 comes almost a year after Jordan’s breakout win at last season’s New Zealand Open.
He hopes to defend that title after the WGC event.
