It’s been three years since Eagle Chang became the youngest ever winner of the Australian Junior Championship at just 14. A lot has changed for Chang since claiming the national title in 2005, both on and off the course and it’s been for the better.

A new coach, a revised outlook as to short term goals, as well as an appreciation as to playing the game, has the 17-year-old ready to embark upon the next stage of his career, the major Australian Amateur circuit.

Past achievements, whilst important, are now considered in perspective by Chang, as he appreciates there’s plenty of work ahead if he’s to reach his goals of making a living from the game.

Chang by his own admission has felt that he’s not capitalised fully on his earlier junior achievements which were numerous, including winning the Greg Normal Junior Masters, the Gary Player Junior Classic, the Jack Newton International Classic and various Queensland school boy tournament victories.

Like many promising young players, frustration was making its way into Chang’s game at the time. The passion of playing, had at one stage turned into more of a grind. Encouragement by his father, Alex, as well as his own inner belief that he possessed the raw talent to make a go of it, kept Eagle focused.

“I went a bit away,” said Chang this week as he was preparing for the Queensland Amateur Championship, after qualifying as the fourth seed.

“I was very young when I won a number of big tournaments both here and overseas and since I’ve learnt so much about the mental side of playing and what to do out there on the course.”

A revised set of short-term goals and objectives has Chang back and fully motivated to achieve the best he can.

“My immediate goals are to move from the junior ranks and play the main amateur championships and National Selection trials in Australia first, before even considering returning to play in America,” says Chang, who beat Jason Day, who now plays on the lucrative US PGA Tour, on the way to securing the 2005 Australian Junior Amateur title.

This week’s Queensland Amateur has also taken a new perspective for Chang, a type of baptism into the bigger amateur league and away from the junior level of golf that he’s mainly experienced.

“This is my first big season as an amateur and making the match play of the Queensland Amateur again is a great start. All I plan to do is just practice and really give it a full go. With junior golf, you can struggle at times and it’s important to have the proper support.”

With school studies recently completed, golf has become a full-time occupation for Chang.

“There are no distractions and I can simply just focus upon my game. I considered attending college in the America, but the facilities here in Brisbane, as well as being able to stay at home, are too much of an attraction.”

Eagle Chang was born in Taiwan, his doctor father, a self proclaimed ‘golf nut’, encouraged his son into the game and away from tennis when Eagle was 10.

Eagle won his first major amateur victory, the Queensland Schoolboys golf Championship at 12, and continued to make his mark in junior golf for the next five years. Eagle rates his biggest achievement to date in playing the 2005 Australian Open as a 15-year-old.

“My father has been really supportive of me and I owe him so much. During the last two years since the Australian Junior and Australian Open, my game has kind of been astray. Dad helped me get back on track.”

Chang has developed into a better player since winning the Australian Junior Championship. You also have to keep in perspective that Eagle is just 17 and with a full playing future ahead.

Eagle Chang is a name you are sure to be hearing about in the future. He’s one of Australia’s most promising talents and if his early successes are any indication, it will not be long before Eagle soars up the world amateur rankings and makes his respective mark. It could be as early as this week at the Queensland Amateur Championships and what a message that would send.

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