Alumni

To get your info listed here, please send an email with your name, years you played in the SDJGA (19XX to 20xx), email (optional), and what you're up to now.

 

You can also view our full Alumni Listing HERE

 

Featured Alumni

• Adam Porzak
• Jason Puterbaugh
• Chris Smeal
• Georgiana Salant
• Maiya Tanaka
• Holly Kennedy
• Shane Mason
• Ian Coffman
• Joey Cave
• Jamie Lovemark
• Alex Grieb

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Adam Porzak

-I started playing in SDJGA events when I was eight-years old. These were some of the best times in my life. There were so many good players who to this day I am still in contact with. I loved the tournament in Tijuana most of all and have so many fond memories of Presido Hills. One of my favorite memories of SDJGA was when we locked one of the guys in a portable potty at Sail-Ho during the round. Practical jokes such as these added to the fun of playing golf and having that hot dog and coke afterwards. It's so cool to have trophies with Mickelson's, Casper's and Stadler's name on them.

-I am still active in the field of golf. After finishing in the top 5 of the Golden State Tour money list in 2010, I had surgery on a torn labrum followed by an eight-month rehabilitation in 2011. During my rehab I finished my schooling and obtained a degree in Sports Psychology. In addition, I have been working for 3-years with a top physical therapist who focuses on the mechanics of the golf swing. All of this ties into my back-up plan of becoming a golf instructor should I find himself in a position of not being able to pursue my goal of playing on the PGA Tour someday. In April of this year, I will be the Staff Playing Professional for the Todd Sones School of Impact Golf in the Chicagoland area starting in April of 2012. My wife, Stevie, and my 3 1/2 year son, Lukas, will be moving to Chicago until at least October of this year. In addition to instructing, I will be playing in Nationwide qualifiers and a variety of tournaments in the Mid-West. I am excited about the opportunity to work with Todd Sones, top 50 instructor in the United States, at his golf school at White Deer Run Golf Club in Vernon Hills. I consider on-course instruction and strategy to be my strong points, as well as, the short-game. I'm also looking forward to sharpening my own game under his supervision. If you get out to the Chicagoland area, call me at 858-395-9493.

-Perhaps my most memorable experience in golf was playing on the Jr. Ryder Cup Team in 2002 and traveling to Ireland for the matches followed by attending the actual Ryder Cup at the Belfry.

-Favorite golf course has to be Pebble Beach.

-For those of you who are participating in junior golf, have fun and always try hard. Never give-up. You never know when you might chip in or drop a putt of 50-feet or more. Learn the correct fundamentals of the game now. It is so much easier to make changes at a younger age. And remember to listen to your parents once and a while!! It's hard to believe but they actually know what they are talking about. Finally, make sure you have equipment that fits you properly.

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Jason Puterbaugh

-I started playing in San Diego Jr Golf at the age of 10, I still remember my first tournament being at Sail Ho.  I played competively up to the age of 23, finishing up at San Diego State and then traveling to Spain where I played and taught after college.

-Currently I am located in Encinitas and live in a great place right by the beach, I have a teaching credential, and am a few months away from a Masters in Education.  I coach the Carlsbad High School golf team and am looking forward to our team having a great year.  I am also an Instructor at the Aviara Golf Academy and Director of the Junior Program.  I run clinics for kids every afternoon and we also have developed an overnight camp for juniors that gives that gives them an experience we believe is truly world class in terms of instruction, attention, and experience.  My golf game is still good, at times better than ever as I have learned how to manage my game much better as I have gotten older.

-Some of my best memories from my youth are with San Diego Jr Golf.  I am still friends with the kids I played with to this day.  I had friends to play golf with every weekend and over summer thanks to this program, and I am extremely grateful to this organization.  One of my most memorable golf experiences was the Torrey Pines Match Play Championship, I remember being paired against Steven Eshback, who was practically unbeatable during this time, and taking him to the 16th hole, and knowing that realistacally I should have won that match.  I think I realized I'd have shot 69 if I had finished everything out and at this point I had never broken 70.  I also remember in the same tournament seeing all my friends lose to this no name 13 year old (my friends were 16) named Jamie Lovemark, and every one saying that he had an amazing short game!

-My favorite golf memory is playing in St Andrews, just walking into the town feels surreal, and teeing off on the 18th hole was experience I'll never forget.

-St. Andrews.  The history and champions that have won there.

-Work hard and have fun, you won't succeed unless you are doing both, and what that looks like for every golfer could be completely different. 

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Chris Smeal

-I played in the San Diego Junior Golf Association for two and a half years at age 16 and 17 so 1995-1996.  After junior golf I played college golf at San Diego State University and then turned professional in 2001.  I still play competitively in the San Diego PGA Chapter and the Southern California Section events.  This past year I have had the most success as a professional with 4 tournament victories.

-I live in Poway, CA married with a 3-year old daughter Jaclyn.  I am the Founder of Future Champions Golf located here in San Diego with our headquarters at Stadium Golf Center.  Currently I teach golf full-time out of Stadium Golf Center and local San Diego Courses mainly to junior golfers. 

-Golf is a very big part of my life – Everyday!  I play golf at least once a week and compete in tournaments one to three times per month.  Teaching golf is my dream job and being surrounded by the students I work with is a huge blessing.  I found a passion for junior golf and helping kids and that is why I started Future Champions Golf back in 2004.  Our efforts to provide unique experiences, to help develop players games, to be creative with each student to help them find their passion for the game has been awesome.  Many people don’t know this but both of my sets of grandparents were very good friends with Joan Smith who was the head of San Diego Junior Golf and Junior World for a really long time.  She is an inspiration to me and why I do so many of things I do with FCG and San Diego Junior Golf. 

-I still have some great memories of San Diego Junior Golf.  First memory is my first tournament at Sail Ho when I thought I was a good player.  I was so nervous and started the round – chunk, chunk, chunk – triple bogey.  On the 5^th Hole I bladed a sand wedge so far over the green that it went into the building across the street.  I was completely embarrassed but it helped me realize what was important to practice and how to better prepare.  It was the first step towards being a good golfer and I am glad I played so poorly that first event.  Another memory from SDJGA I have his playing in the Marvin K Brown Match Play when I was 17.  The division was really good that year and I think I lost to Nick Jones in the Semi-Finals and we got to play Torrey North everyday which was a lot of fun.  Last memory was getting recruited to pay for SDSU.  It was June 6^th my senior year playing in the So Cal High School Regional at SCGA Golf Club.  The SDSU head Coach came to watch me play because I had a great spring season in high school and in local amateur golf.  I hit a two iron off the tee on the 3^rd hole to show my course management skills and made an easy par.  I went to the next hole a par 5 that I know I couldn’t reach so I hit 2 iron off the tee to take the fairway bunker out of play, laid up, hit a wedge to 2 feet, tapped in.  The coach walked away after that; I finished the round with a 71 and tied for 4^th.  When I got home there was a message from the coach to come to his office tomorrow.  He offered me a scholarship that day I was originally going to go to Palomar.  That was fun!

-Trying to grow the game has been very challenging and an uphill battle.  Fortunately I have learned a lot about being persistent and going after what you want and what you want to see happen regardless of what other people think or feel about your ideas.  If you are passionate about something the idea is not stupid – it’s awesome.  I try to stick with this every day.  The first program I ever came up with failed miserably and I thought it was the best idea ever… Nope.  Tweaked it and out popped FCG!

-Playing in the 1997 California State Amateur at Pebble Beach in front of my entire family.  I was very lucky to have such a supportive family for my golfing goals and to have them all be able to watch me play one of the World’s best courses quickly comes to mind anytime anyone asks me this question.  I holed a bunker shot for par on the par 4 4^th hole and made a birdie on the signature par 3 7^th Hole. 

-A few years back I got to play Newport Country Club in Rhode Island which is the course that hosted the very first US Open.   An amazing club house and amazing layout with holes along the ocean.  I played with rental clubs and shot 71 on the day one of my best friends got married.  I hope I get to play the course again.

-You are probably better than you think you are.  Remember how many junior golfers are located here in Southern California.  You are surrounded by the world’s best which is the best thing for you if you cannot get discouraged by the competition.  You don’t have to play golf from the age of 3 to be really good.  I started at 15 and think I did pretty well.  Golf is a lifetime game and your fondest memories will be some of the experiences you have in junior golf.  Enjoy the ride and have a great attitude!  Lastly, Golf opens up a lot of doors for you in life, in business, in friendships so enjoy the game for that.  I remember talking to Tim Mickelson after one of my students shot 61 in a tournament at Vineyard and Tim replied – “I never even broke par until I was 17 – these kids are good!” 

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Georgiana Salant

-I played San Diego Jr Golf for 9 years, from 2001-2010.

-I am still playing golf competitively representing Wil1iams College in Williamstown, MA.  I am currently in my second year at Williams and plan to be a Chemistry major.  My golf game is the best it’s ever been as I’ve been working really hard to improve it and have been playing a lot as well.

-Golf is a very important and big part of my life today.  I live and breathe it during my season, and even during the off season it is still a big part of my identity.  During the summer and the fall and spring seasons of the school year, I play and practice almost every day.  When I’m at school during the winter however, I’m not able to go out – unfortunately due to a little thing called snow.  It’s great being able to travel back to San Diego for winter break to see the family, enjoy the warm weather and actually be able to play some golf.

-Participating in junior golf really motivated me to want to be good and constantly improve my game.  It inspired me to continue playing in high school and college.  The atmosphere of San Diego Junior Golf is competitive but there is also a great sense of camaraderie.  I’ve developed so many friendships playing junior golf that I know will last for a long time. I have extremely fond memories of participating in the travel team tournaments such as Girl’s Junior America’s Cup and the Mary Cave Cup.  These tournaments were so fun because of the team atmosphere; golf is such an individualized sport that one doesn’t often get the chance to experience this.  I have also definitely faced my fair share of challenges with the game.  Whether it is having to push through and finish my extremely poor and struggling round or learning a rule the hard way by getting penalized for a mistake, all things in golf are memorable learning experiences and life experiences as well.

-I am a huge fan of the team aspect of golf which is a big reason I wanted to play golf in college.  One of my favorite golf memories is playing in my first college tournament my freshman year in the fall.  I was playing a course that I had never played before, I was playing with girls I had never met, and I was so nervous.  But just the thought that I wasn’t alone, that I was playing for my team and my school, made me so relaxed and happy.  It is something I will never forget.

-I have to say my favorite course I’ve ever played is my home course I play for college, Taconic Golf Club.  The course is both challenging and enjoyable.  You get a lot of variety with the holes so it’s really hard to get bored.  The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, especially in the fall, as the course is located in a valley surrounded by purple mountains and colorful trees.

-To today’s junior golfers, I want to say have fun.  Golf is a wonderful sport that you are able to play throughout your entire life.  Don’t take yourself too seriously or else you can risk the chance of getting burnt out.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work your hardest, it just means remember to cherish the process because the rewards are great.

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Maiya Tanaka

-I started playing SDJGA in the 11-12 age division. I had just started at the Pro Kids golf academy and I was encouraged to try out SDJGA because I wanted to see what the competitive side of golf would be like. 

-I graduated from UCLA in 2009 and recently moved back to San Diego so I could keep pursuing my dream of playing on the LPGA tour. I had to work a lot once I moved home to pay off school and golf, and I ended up working through most of the golf season. I worked at a golf course as a bartender, helped run charity events and beat-the-pro challenges, did modeling work for golf companies, worked at a sushi bar, worked for softspikes, did promotional work with some golf companies, was an avatar for Ben Hogan's 5 lessons video game/ app, and still would try to practice to maintain my golf game. I am loving where I'm at right now because I am fighting hard to make my dreams come true and I am learning that hard work does pay off. I have a great coach and am very confident that 2012 will be an amazing year.

-I loved playing junior golf events! I am very competitive so I loved getting trophies and shooting good scores. I knew if I worked hard and practiced I could become one of the best. But, besides that I really appreciate the great memories I've had because of the great friends I've met through junior golf. I had so much fun as a kid skipping down fairways with my friends, and just hanging out and playing golf. Golf is a great sport because it allows time for conversation and encourages building lasting relationships...I still talk to a lot of the other junior golfers I was friends with back in the day!

-Getting a hole-in-one, on the first hole of my very first tournament. It was a scramble and my team (consisting of my brother, sister, and friend) got off to a great start! It was cool to be the hero for that hole and it really made me believe that there was something special about this game.

-I was fortunate enough to be able to play Cypress Point in Monterrey with some of the Pro Kids members and supporters and it was absolutely amazing. Locally, I still love Torrey Pines. It was my home course in high school and I love how the beach is so close and the views are awesome...not to mention, there were many bruised egos there as I beat the guy's from every high school in the vicinity, from the same tees. I still very much enjoy that now.

-Enjoy every minute of your young lives, and don't be in a rush to grow up. Shoot for the moon because even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. I hope today's junior golfers will set their goals high, appreciate God's blessings, realize how fortunate they are, and set a good example for those who come after them.

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Holly Kennedy

-I joined the SDJGA when I was 8 years old and my brother was 6. Our family decided to take up golf and learn the game together, so we all took lessons from the Abrego family down at Presidio Hills.  In those days our age divisions started with the 10 and under, and we had no more than a dozen kids in our division, so you could pretty much always count on getting a ribbon or a trophy. I played SDJGA all the way through high school, and since my school did not have a golf team I was thankful to have SDJGA provide me with a tournament schedule throughout the year. I then had the great opportunity to play at UCLA, and our team won a national championship in 1992. I definitely do not play as well today as I did in college, but I still enjoy playing in tournaments when I can - especially if they are scrambles and I get to play from the ladies tees!

-From 1994 until September 2010 I worked at Singing Hills Golf Club in El Cajon as the Tournament Director. I met my husband John there who started at the club in 1992, and I became a PGA Golf Professional in 2000. I was incredibly fortunate to work under Tom Addis, our Director of Golf, during his tenure as the President of the PGA of America, and will forever consider him a mentor and my source for inspiration in pursuing my career in the golf business. Also inspiring was watching my husband work his way up from an assistant, to eventually holding the Head Professional/Director of Golf position. Amazingly enough we were able to work together very well all those years and not drive each other crazy.

-John and I started our own tournament and event planning company, Kennedy Golf, in September of 2010 and are very happy to now be helping non-profits, charities, social and corporate groups carry out fun and successful tournament events throughout San Diego.  An obvious benefit to having our own business is we actually have time to get out and play golf now! And as most know I'm now the President of the SDJGA and it's truly been a gift to come full circle and serve on our board for the last six years.

-When I took up golf not too many kids were playing, and none of my friends at school played, so being a golfer definitely empowered me and set me apart from my peers in a good way.  Playing in the Junior World every year was definitely the highlight, and way back then you just signed up - there was no qualifying.  My brother actually won his division at Presidio Hills when he was eight or nine and beat Tiger Woods which was a great memory, and I'm pretty sure I placed 3rd at Mission Bay Golf Course that year. 

-One of my favorite memories of my junior golf days is the summer BBQ dinners we used to have at Phil Mickelson's house.  We would all hang out in his backyard and play on their practice green, and Phil's parents were the greatest.  The guys in our age group were all very good so I'm not sure that any of us realized then that we were hanging out with this guy that would end up being one of the worlds' greatest.

-So far Pebble Beach is my absolute favorite golf course.  The layout and the views and the property as a whole is breathtaking. I had a chance to play there about five years ago, and our group all had caddies. My caddy's name was Dustin Hoffman (he said his mom loved the actor) and I have never had someone read greens and give me perfect yardage the way this guy did.  Between the perfect weather we had that day and my awesome caddy, it was the best golf experience I have ever had.

-Always do your best to have a positive attitude and keep your cool on the course - no matter how bad you are playing or how annoying another player in your group may be.  College coaches care about how good you can play, but they care just as much about how you carry yourself on the golf course and around your teammates. They want players that will bring good vibes and positive spirit to the team atmosphere. Drama queens/kings will not survive the college golf life!

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Shane Mason

-  I played golf from the age of 5 all the way through 17. I played college golf for 4 years at Pepperdine and a year on the professional mini-tours.

-  I'm currently pursuing a Master's in Nuclear Nonproliferation and Terrorism at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA. I work part-time at the Monterey Peninsula CC, where I have unsuccessfully tried to keep my game from getting better (to say it nicely).

-  My childhood and junior golf are one and the same. If I had to take out all the memories of my childhood except for those experiened with the SDJGA, I still would have had a great time. I was able to make friends, learn about hard work and honesty, and stay out of trouble.

-  My fondest memory was representing San Diego at the Boys Junior America's Cup. I played with three of my buddies, had a great chaperone, and got a taste of team golf which I would experience playing in college.

-  Two favorite courses. My favorite for sentimental reasons would be Torrey Pines South. It was the first regulation course I ever played - I couldn't sleep the night before I was so excited. My other favorite would be Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. The combination of scenery, challenge, and strategy make it the best 18 holes I've ever played.

-  Have fun! Try as hard as you can to compete, but don't forget that junior golf is about making friends and trying to improve.

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Ian Coffman

-  I played SDJGA from the time I was 10 until 17.....played for University of San Diego under Tim Mickelson 2008-2009....and yes still compete, but it is more of a "hockey" game now due to work and lack of practice.

-  I currently live in San Francisco, CA working as a financial consultant for a boutique dispute consulting firm called StoneTurn Group......still play, but not nearly at the level I used to due to work.

-  Networking is huge.  Golf is a fantastic way to meet people, talk business, and socialize.  I play a few times a month.

-  The friendships, memories, and stories are the best part and will cherish forever.

-  Americas Cup, Hogan Cup, Junior World's....one particular fond memory I have is playing a Twelve-some down the 16th hole at Fallbrook CC because it was so slow.  Rules guy lost his mind, but WOW all twelve of us had a blast.

-  Monterey Peninsula GC - Dunes Course....its on the 17 mile drive in Pebble which is a pretty sweet spot.  The Farms - great Risk Reward and encourages golfers to hit the darn fairway.

-  EDUCATION - Everyone wants to kick butt and become a professional golfer.  However the reality in fact tells you that it is very very difficult, even for College All-Americans.....learn as much as you can in high school, keep your GPA up  and aim to get into a college you think is out of your league...If you want to continue with golf then use it as a way to get into a college that you might not otherwise get into just based off your GPA. (i.e. scholarships etc.)  College is some of the best years of your life so choose it wisely.  There is no substitute for hard work.  You have to want it more than everyone else to be successful.

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Joey Cave

-  I started playing in the SDJGA when I was about 9 years old and I continued to play until I was 17 and too old to play any longer. I played varsity high school golf at St. Augustine HS for 4 years and went on to play Division I golf at the United States Military Academy at West Point for 4 years serving as team Captain for one of the years. After graduation I really stopped playing competitively for about 3 years and kind of let my game go until I took the opportunity to try out and play on the All Army Golf Team and represent the Army playing against other services in the Armed Forces Championship. 

-  I am currently stationed at Ft. Sill in Lawton, OK. I am a Captain in the Army and am currently attending the Field Artillery Captain's Career Course. Because of my job requirements I have turned into a weekend/ twice a month golfer, however, I am hoping this opportunity to play on the All Army Golf Team will get me back into competition and kick start my game and get me playing more often.

-  Participating in junior golf provided me with an amazing competitive opportunity most of my other friends did not have. I learned how to perform under pressure and deal with adversity at a young age which I carried over to my daily life and school and it gave me an advantage over my peers. I made many friends throughout my junior golf career that I kept in touch with and played against throughout many high school and college tournaments. 

-  My favorite junior golf memory definitely has to be when I was about 15 years old and playing in a junior golf tournament at Chula Vista. About two holes into the round I turned my hat backwards and got to about the fourteenth or fifteenth hole where a SDJGA marshall spotted me and instructed to turn my hat around or I would be DQ'd. I reluctantly turned my hat around and finished out the last few holes of my round. As soon as I holed out my last putt on the 18th green I turned my hat back around and came to the scorers table with it backwards as if I was trying to prove a point to someone. The same marshall who told me to turn my hat around on the course pulled me to the side and told me that since I did not obey the rules I was DQ'd right there on the spot. To make matters worse, I had shot a 73 that day and would have placed in the top three in the tournament, but instead a big red DQ was written next to my name on the leaderboard. And to make matters even worse, I didn't wear sunscreen that day so in the middle of my forehead was a definitive line separating my normal skin color and the lobster red sunburnt rest of my face. Needless to say, for some time after the tournament I was referred to by my brothers and father as "DQ." I learned my lesson.

-  Playing junior golf in San Diego was an incredible opportunity because I was able to play almost every private golf course in San Diego that I would have otherwise not even have been able to get close to. I was also very fortunate to play at West Point where our team was invited out to play many US Open and PGA Championship sites all over the country, particularly in the northeast. But my hands down favorite course was the Los Angeles Country Club located right in the middle of Beverly Hills. The thing that sold me on the course was when approached I think it was the 13th tee box and my caddie says, "hey right next to you over that fence is the backyard of the Playboy mansion."

-  Have fun and don't take the game or the tournaments too seriously. I used to get upset and throw and break clubs but all it did was make me look like an idiot. Take one shot at a time and if you mess up, it'll say more about your character and ability as a golfer how you hit your next shot then how upset you can get over the previous one. Try it sometime and laugh as the other kids around you give up and collapse on themselves.

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Jamie Lovemark

- My first SDJGA tournament was at Colina Park when I was six years old in 1994. I competed in the 10 and younger division and believe I finished 4th. I couldn't believe how excited I was to receive my first trophy and found a new love for competitive golf. WIth the SDJGA point system that was in place I was able to earn enough points throughout the years to play in several Junior World events, which were and still are, a world renowned tournament. One of my last tournaments was the SDJGA match play at Torrey Pines' North Course which set me in motion for a great summer in 2004.

- Currently I live in Jupiter, FL and play on the PGA Tour where I am able to compete against the best players in the world.

- Luckily I am still playing golf today and practice/play 5-7 times a week when I am not playing tournaments.

- SDJGA gave me an opportunity to refine my game as junior golfer and taught me how to compete against players while maintaining integrity and sportsmanship. I made many friends whom I still talk with today and see them around the country playing tournaments at various levels. Even to this day I remember competing against my fellow SDGJA golfers and can look back on tournaments we played in and laugh about the times we had.

- The most fond golfing memory I have was winning the Walker Cup in 2007. Traveling with 9 of your good friends and fellow countryman to a place where none of us have ever traveled to was awesome. The scenery was as epic as the matches, which came down to the final hole of the final match. The best part of the Walker Cup was playing in a foreign country where only family members and coaches were cheering and clapping for good shots. Not to belittle the Irish crowds because they're great people, but they really only cheered when we hit poor shots so it felt that much better winning.

- Royal County Down, where the Walker Cup was played, has to be one of my favorites along with Pebble Beach.

- One of the biggest trendsright now on the PGA Tour is young players with tons of athleticism. There is no doubt that hitting the ball far is extremely important in today's game. Even though hitting it long is not completely vital to play good golf, it's a huge advantage in every level of the game. One way to ensure one can maximize length as he/she gets older is playing many sports growing up. Not only does this improve hand eye coordination, but it helps develop fast-twitch muscles which aids in having high swing speeds. Oh yeah, chip and putt for endless hours per day, thats what it boils down to in the end of every tournament.

 

Alumni Spotlight:  Alex Grieb

-When and how long did you play in the San Diego Jr Golf program and for how long after did you continue to play competitively?

        I started playing in the SDJGA in 1999 when I was 9 years old and played in it competitively til I was 17 years old. Also continued playing competitively in college at the Division I level.

-Where are you now? Location, work, life, golf game?

        Recently graduated from the University of the Pacific in beautiful Stockton, CA with a degree in Sports Management and minor in Business Administration. I now live back in San Diego, still looks for that prestigious job, but currently work at La Costa Resort in the Golf Operations. Taking a break from playing golf competitively, but still playing in a couple amateur golf tournaments here and there.

-How did participating in junior golf enrich your youth? Any fond memories? Challenges or memorable learning experiences?

          Playing junior golf enriched my youth in that it taught me how to be social, meet new people, and be well mannered on and off the course.  I met a lot of great friends through golf that I will have the rest of my life.  I have a lot of fond memories from our summer golf tournaments, a lot of laughs, a lot of inside jokes, and a lot of "You had to be there" stories.  There were certainly a lot memorable learning experiences like pulling a McElroy by choking a big lead on the final round and then coming back the following tournament, learning from your mistake and pulling through for the victory. The challenges were always playing against some of the other best players in San Diego at the time, but still managed to have a fun time out there!

-What’s your favorite golf memory, junior golf or other?

          I have a lot individualistic junior golf memories like playing well in tournaments and getting a hole in one at Junior World on Torrey Pines #16 in front of my future college coach, but my favorite memory was our team performance in the Junior America's Cup in 2006. I was fortunate enough to play on the Junior America's Cup team in 2006 for the second straight year and represent San Diego against the 14 other western states.  We played in Ogden, Utah and our captains were Chris Spence and Casey Dillabaugh, two super cool, down-to-earth guys. Everyone played really well that week, it came down to the very last putt, and we ended up winning the whole thing! Golf is an individual sport, so to have an opportunity to celebrate a victory as a team, was really fun!

-Do you have a favorite course you’ve ever played and what about that course attracts you to it?

          I don't think I have a particular favorite golf course. Growing up, I never belonged to a country club and always played at the local executive golf course by my house, Oaks North GC. Therefore, any time we were fortunate enough to play a really nice, super exclusive golf course in San Diego, I found it to be pretty cool and really enjoyed it.  To have a chance to play courses like San Diego CC, La Jolla CC, and Rancho Santa Fe CC, is something that hardly happens and something I really looked forward to when I saw it on the schedules.  That's not to say I don't miss grinding it out at good old Presidio GC too.

-Any words of wisdom for today's junior golfers?

           Just have fun and be competitive out there and golf will open so many doors to your future! Also, that classic line from what should have been an academy award nominee film, Billy Madison, "Stay in school, stay as longgggg as you can!"

 

SDJGA Hall of Fame