If you were watching the early part of the broadcast of the
Northern Trust Open (in the blogosphere you can call it what it is, the L.A.
Open), you might have heard Jim Nantz mention that one of the contenders, Jason
Allred, had won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1997 at Aronimink Golf Club.
I was working at the Daily
Times when the ’97 Junior was at Aronimink, but I didn’t cover it. Bob
Lentz, who went on to The Associated Press, was doing most of our golf coverage
in those days. But I’ve always marveled at the talent that was arrayed at the
Donald Ross gem in Newtown Township that week.
Two Masters champions emerged from that field, South African
Trevor Immelman, who lost to Allred in the final at Aronimink, and Australian
Adam Scott, who will be the defending champion at Augusta in a few short weeks.
A 15-year-old Sean O’Hair lost to Immelman in the semifinals
at Aronimink. I’ve always thought it was a little ironic that O’Hair, who
embarked on a long and winding road after that U.S. Junior that eventually led
him to Sun Valley All-Delco golfer Jackie Lucas, had that tremendous junior
success in the very county which would so embrace him after he married into the
Lucas family. By the time the AT&T National made its brief two-year stop at
Aronimink beginning in 2010, O’Hair was a member of the club.
One of O’Hair’s best pals from his junior days, Hunter
Mahan, was also in that field at Aronimink and he’s done all right for himself.
He was in the last group at two major championships in 2013, including the U.S.
Open at Merion, and it seems just a matter of time before he becomes the third
major champion to come out of that Junior field at Aronimink.
But it was Allred who won that week and it seems like he’s
been banging around on golf’s fringes ever since. He was a Monday qualifier at
Riviera Country Club this week and it was nice to see him play so solidly in
the final round Sunday. Maybe it’s the start of something bigger for a guy whose
career held so much promise at Aronimink 16 summers ago.
Speaking of Merion, a guy who finished tied with Allred for
third at Riviera Sunday was Brian Harman. He was all of 18 and a U.S. Walker
Cup team member when he teed it up at the historic East Course for the 2005
U.S. Amateur.
I can’t remember how he did that week, but I do remember
hanging out at 13, the little par-3 along the driveway at the East Course,
during one of the practice rounds and watching all these great players hit
wedges into one of the toughest short par-3s you’ll find. One of them was Brian
Harman and his family was there, too. It was a neat scene and it just goes to
show you, you never know what future star you might see on his or her way up in
a practice round at a U.S. Amateur.
Oh yeah, speaking of Merion and the Walker Cup, the guy who
holed the eagle from the fairway that made ESPN’s top plays Saturday was none
other than Cameron Tringale, the same Cameron Tringale who was a member of the
U.S. Walker Cup team that defeated Great Britain & Ireland at Merion in
2009.
The same Cameron Tringale who was a Georgia Tech teammate of
Radnor’s Adam Cohan, a three-time Daily
Times Player of the Year and the 2002 PIAA champion. I thought if I headed
out to a Tringale match that weekend, I might run into Adam Cohan and sure
enough I did.
I always remember Adam telling me that Tringale visualized
every shot he took going into the hole and Saturday at Riviera one did just
that.
Adam also introduced me to Cameron’s mom and I’ve always
remembered how worried she was about how her son would fare as he headed for
the next level of professional golf. Well, he’s done OK and he seems to be off
to a very solid start this year. He was one of six players who finished in a
tie for 12th at the L.A. Open at 8-under par.
It’s funny the people you come across covering golf in
Delaware County. But the play of Jason Allred, Brian Harman and Cameron
Tringale this weekend brought back some memories and it’s always nice to have
some golfers to root for, besides the
guys on my fantasy team, of course.
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