Little Guy, Big Golf Skills

So many things go into hitting a golf ball properly — some people go a lifetime and never master them all at once.

Kyle Lograsso is not one of those people, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports for Assignment America.

At the age of five, Kyle already has what the pros call "a perfect swing."

Even his short game — of course for him it's all short game — is remarkable.

When Kyle explains it, the game is simple: "You have to put you feet right here, club right there, ball right there. Put your club up and hit it."

"I don't take credit for it, I just take him to the golf course," his father Jeff says.

"It amazes us every day," says his mother Regina. "We don't know where it came from."

They say they never played golf. And yet when Kyle was just 23-months-old, for some reason he started taking a keen interest in ... the golf channel.

Jeff would ask his son if he wanted to watch cartoons. He'd reply: "no, I'm watching the golf channel." And that was it.

"And I think he just started imitating it," his mother says. "Really, I think it was all imitation."

He got his first metal clubs for his third birthday, and hasn't put them down since.

Today, he's good enough to play against adults, often outplaying them.

Typically, with a little headstart on the really long holes, Kyle will shoot about ninety for a round of 18.

"Yea, but at the end I'm tired," Kyle says.

Obviously, it's quite an accomplishment to be that good while still this tiny. But what's even more impressive is his handicap — and I'm not talking golf handicap.

As a baby, Kyle was diagnosed with something called Retinalblastoma.

"The best way to describe it was just a white glare — in one of his eyes."

What happened to his eye?

"I got cancer; they had to remove it," Kyle says.

Kyle also went through five months of chemotherapy.

Dr. Carol Shields did the surgery and may appreciate Kyle's golf more than anybody.

"I think one of the hardest things for this kid to do is judge his swing. I think it's remarkable he's been able to do so well with the handicap," she says.

But he's also adapted. Even though he does everything else right-handed, he golfs left. It allows him to keep his good eye over the ball during the entire swing.

Will he continue to adapt? Could he go on to become the next Tiger Woods? His doctor sees no reason why not. In fact, she's banking on it.

"I got an autograph, and I'm keeping it!" Shields says.

[why_not_nar]

It's always amazing to see the human spirit overcoming adversity.

Good things happen more often than we know. We just do not always focus on them.

Kudos to CBS news for taking the time to show us something we may not have noticed. In a world dominated by politics and war, it's terrific to not just admire Kyle, but to leave the set saying, "what could i do today, to follow the example of this young man."

Steve, great job of reporting.

[lori_k24]

Hello - this message is really for Kyle, his parents and other retinablastoma survivors. I watch the CBS news stories regularly - with all of the news of society's problems, they make me remember we are all human and have our own stories to tell.

Your story touched me just by seeing such a young child with such talent, but even more because I am also a retinoblastoma survivor. I am 35 years old and have been in remission for over 34 years. I too had my eye removed, radiation and surgeries. I just wanted to say "kudos" to Kyle! In all of your endeavors, our handicap may get in the way sometimes, but never stop believing you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. It actually has made me a stronger person and strive to accomplish more. Have fun and enjoy life!

Take care,
Lori

[solarpilot]

Impressed-

After watching your story about the inspirational brave little fellow ace golfer highlighting his natural courage I was compelled to share w/ you how it affected me, my first ever contact. It surpringly to my temporary relief released my daily carrying of heavly weighted personally imposed sad burden, as a Viet Nam Vet, towards our sacrificing growing military body count every moment I breath.

Please accept my most humble appreciation for giving me and hopefully others the rare oppourtunity to forget, for at least a short time, my personal anguish through the distraction of your great choice of such a strong breath of a story.

I applaud you and hope your staff will try to continue to apply increased effort to bring us, your viewers, future equal level stories of warm hearted quality.

Frank E
Bellingham, WA

[ahmbmjb]

HI !! I AM ALSO A PATIENT OF DR.SHIELDS..I HAD MY SURGERY IN FEB.2007.I AM SO VERY THANKFUL TO EVERYONE INVOLVED.IT IS A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE.YOU REALLY APPRECIATED EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY.I DID NOT LOSE MY EYE BUT THE SURGERY AND FOLLOW-UP TREATMENTS ARE TO SAY THE LEAST "DIFFERENT".MY ROOMY WAS GREAT AND WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A VERY SPECIAL BOND.WE MADE THE VERY BEST OF OUR CONFINEMENT IN THE HOSPITAL WHILE THE RADIATION PLAQUE WAS IN OUR EYE!!LIFE IS VERY PRECIOUS TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND LOVED ONES !!!

[parthasb]

Hello Steve:

I have been following the amazing and heart warming stories that you have been bringing on for sometime. I also have been watching CBS evening news and 60 minutes since the time of Walter Cronkite.

Rabelais said " Half the world does not know how the other half lives." If you some day run out of amazing stories, I could tell you one true story from my own life.

I live in Livingston, NJ and am a Prof. Engineer licensed to practice in NY & NJ. Came to USA on 11 Jan, 75 and have gone back to India between 20 to 30 times in the last 32 plus years. When I was in middle school in India, circa 1957-58, I used to go to school with my father and it took about 45 minutes. My father recited from memory a 24 page poem from a volume of selected poems of Rabindra Nath Tagore (Nobel Lit Prize, 1913) that I still remember today, line by line and have recited back to audience, non-stop without faltering in about 25 minutes' time, very recently. My father memorized the whole volume of about 770 pages containing more than 300 poems. What was the poem about and why I thought it was so important for me to remember all these years, reciting after my father, some 45 years ago? This I will tell you and Katie in person, if I have an opportunity some day. I am somewhat self-effacing, so it took a while to write to you. My cell # is [phone]. Home # [phone]. I assure you and Katie it will be a magnificent experience for you.

Partha S. Bhattacharya