As contestants prepare for this week's Westfield Junior PGA Championship, a former Champion, Sean O'Hair, is preparing for his first British Open, after earning an exemption with a come-from-behind victory last Sunday, at the John Deere Classic.
O'Hair's performance last weekend reflected his victory in the 1998 Junior PGA Championship, when he rallied from a five-stroke deficit, with a final-round, 5-under-par 67, to win by one-stroke over Nathan Fritz, of Greenwood, Ind. O'Hair, who only recorded two birdies in the first 54 holes, collected seven in his final 18 holes, along with two bogeys, to tie for the second-lowest final round in tournament history.
O'Hair, who also was the first winner of the inaugural PGA Junior Series in 1996, adds his name to a long list of past participants and winners from the Westfield Junior PGA Championship who have gone on to prolific careers in college and professional golf. The list includes: Beth Bauer, Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie, David Toms, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.
This week's Westfield Junior PGA Championship field begins play Wednesday. Returnees in the boys' division are: Chris DeForest, of Cottekill, N.Y., and Tony Mapu Finau, of Salt Lake City. Both players have had a successful summer playing junior and amateur events, with Finau capturing the 2005 Utah State Junior Amateur Championship. Tony is not the only Finau playing this week, as he is joined by his younger brother, Gipper, who qualified by winning the Westfield Junior Utah PGA Championship.
Stephanie Kono, of Honolulu, will attempt to win the girls' division, after her fourth place finish in 2004. Kono will have stiff competition in a field that includes South African Ashleigh Simon, who last year became the first amateur to win on the South African Women's Tour, by capturing the South African Women's Open. Not only did Simon tie the lowest score ever on the Tour with a 63 during her final round, but she also became the youngest winner on the Tour at 14 years old.
The Westfield Junior PGA Championship is one of junior golf's major Championships and has been the stepping-stone for many prominent junior golfers. The PGA of America founded the Junior PGA Championship 30 years ago to attract the finest junior golfers. Since 1976, more than 200,000 juniors have competed on the PGA Section level to earn a berth in the Championship.
