Dad obsessed with making sons 'Tiger Woods' beat them for missing shots

London, Jan 26 (ANI): A golf-mad dad, obsessed with turning his kids into golf pros, subjected them to beatings whenever they missed their shots.

The fanatical 33-year-old wanted his boys aged just six and eight to become future champions and gave them tuition at home every day before school and then later at his local golf club or in nearby fields.

If the youngsters played poorly at the driving range, miss-hit a tee-shot, missed a putt or went into the bunker, their furious father would fly into a rage and beat them with a golf club.

Despite the elder child winning a junior tournament, he was clobbered about the leg with a golf iron when he played a bad shot and also had a ball hurled at him from four feet away gashing and bruising his ear.

The younger child, who was struck in the knee with a ball, was left with multiple injuries including a scratched eye and both children were also bitten by their dad.

When cops spoke to the boys, the children told them they enjoyed golf and said it was "their job".

"We are going to be championship golfers when we get older," the Sun quoted the six-year0old as saying.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted two counts of assault and one of common assault.

He was sentenced to a year in jail, suspended for two years, with 12 months' supervision.

According to Judge Bevereley Lunt, it was "beyond belief" that a father could assault his children over golf shots.

"This is child cruelty. It's inexcusable and I do not believe any right thinking person could make any sense of it whatsoever," she told him at Burnley Crown Court, Lancs.

"If you permit your obsession with golf to overcome you again and lay a finger on either of them you will immediately come back before me and I will send you to prison," she said.

The father was arrested after the six-year-old turned up at school in a distressed state with a mark to his face and a teacher asked him what had happened.

The lad told his teacher his father had pinched his eye as they played golf before school last June 10.

Prosecutor Sarah Statham said the lad told police officers his father had also grabbed his leg in a "clawing action" and he had been hurt and upset.

His brother was examined by a paediatrician who found several injuries to his ear after his father threw a golf ball at him and struck him on the knee with a club.

The children's mother was said to be unaware of the pain he was inflicting on their sons, even though the trio had golf lessons in the living room every morning before school.

The dad became separated from his family after child protection agencies became involved.

"They are clearly serious offences and he does now acknowledge that. He had an almost obsessive desire for his sons to become championship golf players," Carolyn Smith, defending, said.

Smith told the court the defendant had a "loving relationship" with his sons and had been having contact with them following the incidents.

"To deny the defendant his liberty at this stage would mean the children would be denied contact with their father," Smith added. (ANI)