Darius Hanson, left, and his father, Andrew Hanson, at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in North Carolina this week. Of over 1,000 kid players, Darius is the lone representative of Maine. (Courtesy of Sara Bozorg-Hanson)

The 1,300 kids ages 5 to 12 in the parade had one thing in common — they were all high-level golfers ready to compete in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship. But in the procession, 11-year-old Darius Hanson of Cumberland marched alone with the Maine state flag. 

The world’s largest junior golf tournament is underway from July 30 to Aug. 1 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, with over 1,000 players from the U.S. and 300 international players representing over 50 countries. 

As the competitors walked in the Parade of Nationals before the tournament began, in front of Hanson were four dozen kids from Louisiana, with about the same number from Maryland behind him. It’s his second time competing in the championship, and his second time being Maine’s only representative. 

“Sometimes it feels weird because I’m like the only one and there’s so many kids in other states, but it also feels cool because I’m like the only one from my state,” said Darius. 

After some practice rounds, Darius competed in his first round on Thursday, going against 11-year-old boys from all over the country and globe. He was anxious at the beginning, he recalled, but after a par on the first hole, his confidence rose. 

“It’s nice just knowing that I’ve been here before, and I don’t feel so, so nervous because I’ve done it before,” he said. 

Hanson has been swinging a club since before he can remember. 

“The very first words that Darius ever spoke were golf ball, and he just picked it up naturally,” said his father, Andrew Hanson. 

As a toddler, Darius was hitting balls around the house with toy clubs. He first played on a green at age 3. From there, he developed his swing, said his father, a former star athlete at Greely High and Princeton University who played minor league baseball and is an assistant coach for the Greely boys baseball team.

Hanson’s dreams for golf broadened when he and his family watched the documentary “The Short Game,” which is about the same U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in which he’s now competing. He started to ask, ‘Are there tournaments I can play?’ playing in a local championship in North Carolina at age 8. 

Since then, Hanson has competed across the United States, as well as in France and Scotland. Since 2024, he’s participated in about 35 tournaments each year spanning about 15 states. His father now assists him on the course as a caddie.

While Maine does not have a state tournament for kids, he plays a lot locally, in the PGA Jr. League at Falmouth Country Club, at the Val Halla Junior Golf Camps, and most recently with Maine Golf out of Freeport.   

Darius Hanson, 11, of Cumberland positions his ball while playing in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship on July 30. His father, Andrew Hanson, right, serves as his caddie. (Courtesy of Sara Bozorg-Hanson)

For tournaments, usually just his dad comes along, though sometimes his mom and big sister, 12-year-old Nilou, are also there. She’s the best sister ever, said Darius, adding that she shares a birthday with Tiger Woods. 

Hanson will be going into sixth grade at Greely Middle School in the fall. His recent birthday on July 7 makes him one of the youngest 11-year-old bracket. That adds an extra challenge, he said. 

But his birthday isn’t all bad luck. It led Hanson to appreciate the 7-iron, for the seventh day of the seventh month. 

“I don’t care how I hit with my 7-iron, it’s my favorite club,” he said. 

He hopes to be in the top 20 when the championship ends on Saturday, which would be good enough to automatically qualify for next year’s tournament.