PENN TWP — Jimmy Ellis speaks softly and swings a mean stick.

Ellis, 11, a fifth-grader at South Butler Elementary, recently won the boys age 10 division of the U.S. Kids Pittsburgh Local Golf Tour.

Each of the eight tour stops — at Oakview Golf Club, Buffalo Golf Course, Cranberry Highlands, Stoughton Acres, Pittsburgh North, Strawberry Ridge, Conley's Resort and Highland Country Club — were nine-hole events.

Ellis won at Stoughton Acres and Conley's, finished second in the five other events, then won the championship tournament at Highland C.C. He shot a 46, sinking a 5-foot putt on No. 9 to win by a stroke over Aidan Thomson of Allison Park.

"He went up and down to win it," said Jim Ellis, Jimmy's father. "There is some pressure on these kids in those tournaments and some of the other kids have played in that atmosphere before.

"This was Jimmy's first experience with it and he seemed to thrive on it."

Ellis was 5 when he first played golf. His family has a membership at Butler Country Club.

"He just has a natural swing. I don't know where it came from," his father said. "I'm a 15-handicap. He beats me as much as I beat him now. The hand-eye coordination is just there."

Frank Colosimo Jr., 65, is Ellis' grandfather. He also served as the youngster's caddie.

Jimmy said he asked his grandfather to caddie "because he knows the game."

"I started golfing because Grandpap said he wanted someone to play with," Jimmy added.

Ellis also plays baseball, dek hockey, bowls and is an avid swimmer. Golf is his favorite sport.

"That's because I'm good at it," he said.

Ellis plays nine holes at Butler Country Club nearly every day. He stands 4-feet-6 and weighs 78 pounds, yet he can drive a ball 200 yards.

"And he hits it straight down the middle pretty much every time," Colosimo said.

Ellis has been working on his game with club pro Rob McClellan and assistant pro Jimmy Brahm. McClellan is going to work with him this winter at Neville Island.

"The pros at the country club deserve a lot of credit for working with Jimmy and improving his game," the elder Ellis said.

Colosimo's cousin, Dennis DeCola, is the father of standout Butler High girls golfer Marissa DeCola.

"Maybe it's in the genes a little bit," Colosimo said, laughing. "But Jimmy is very serious about his golf game."