back to list ]Youth is Served at Deutsche Bank Pro-Am - September 3rd
Posted by Jim Connelly (09/04/2009 07:32AM )The crowds were dispersed. The sun was setting and darkness was creeping in.
That was when Thursday’s Deutsche Bank Championship Pro-Am was its most exciting.
A foursome of junior golfers placed into the Pro-Am by Founders Club partner State Street was among the final groups to walk off the 18th green and did so as champions, having fired a net 20-under par 48 to crush the Pro-Am field, winning by two shots of the remainder of the 53 teams playing on Thursday.
The group, composed of Meghan Khang, 11, Steven Dilisio, 11, Isabel Southard, 15 and Cameron Wilson, 17, was teamed with PGA TOUR professional Camilo Villegas to put together the blistering round that consisted of four net eagles, 12 net birdies and two net pars.
While the experience alone might have been enough, taking home medalist honors became the ultimate bonus.
Through the entire round, the group stayed lighthearted and enjoyed plenty of laughs. When asked what the best thing she learned from Villegas, Khang laughed, “that he’s Spider-man,” referring to the Columbian’s unique practice of bending down to the ground and outstretching one leg to read the greens.
Khang, on a more serious note, said Villegas counseled the junior golfers to stay composed.
“He told me I can’t get mad after missing a putt like I did on 16,” said Khang.
That advice will be useful for Khang and the others as they now take their games to Boston Golf Club to play against completion closer to their age at the John D. Mineck DBC Junior Challenge Cup. The two day team event begins on Saturday with Team USA battling Team New England.
And while the Deutsche Bank Championship Pro-Am might be remembered by many of the fans for the star-power and celebrity that walked the TPC Boston course throughout the morning and early afternoon, those who stayed late saw the real celebrities of the day – four kids out to have a good time who consequently became champions.
