Jordan Spieth (left) and Steven Lam (right), joint runners-up to Moriya Jutanugarn (centre) in the 2008 RandA Junior Open at Hesketh. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
By COLIN FARQUHARSON (Colin@scottishgolfview.com)
Who has attended every RandA Junior Open since 2002
When Jordan Spieth from Dallas, 20-year-old US PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, comes over to Britain for the 2014 Open at Hoylake in July, it will not be the first time he has played on a Lancashire links.
In 2008, Spieth, then 14 years old, finished joint runner-up with Steven Lam (Hong Kong), a shot behind 13-year-old Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand), who was not only the youngest ever to win the prestigious title for Under-16s but also the first girl to beat the boys and head the international field at the end of the three-round tournament.
I recall that the wind rose a notch every day that week in 2008 and by the third and final round it was almost gale-force.
Moriya, despite never having played in Europe before, was able to make up five shots over the last nine holes and won with a nine-over-par total of 225 (72-75-78).
Lam was the overnight leader but he was blown off course while Spieth bogeyed the 11th, 13th and 15th.
Moriya's birdie at the 17th clinched a notable victory.
The Thailand girl has lived up to her promise of 2008, turned pro and now campaigns on the LPGA Tour. Her older sister Ariya Jutanugarn has just completed her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour.
Still an amateur and a college student in California, Lam, in horse racing parlance, has not "trained on" to the same extent as Moriya and Spieth who won the United States junior match-play championship in 2011 and, after turning pro, had a spectacular rookie year in 2013 on the US PGA Tour on which he won the Deere Classic, one of the youngest tour winners on record.
This year's RandA Junior Open will, as usual, be played at the start of the week of the Open championship.
West Lancashire Golf Club will be the venue from July 14 to 16.
It is sometimes the "supporting cast" who mature into better players than the under-16 winners. US Solheim Cup player Paula Creamer, for instance, finished eighth behind Irish boy Cian McNam,ara in the 2002 RandA Junior Open at Royal Musselburgh and is now ranked No 13 in the world of women's professionals.
Patrick Reed (United States), winner at Heswall in 2006, is now a US PGA Tour player but compatriot Jordan Cox, the first American winner of the Junior Open at Kilmarnock Barassie in 2004, is now assistant head coach to the women's team at Baylor University, Texas.
Title winners since the RandA took over the administrative control of the Junior Open are:
2000 @ Crail: Steve Jeppesen (Sweden).
2002 @ Royal Musselburgh: Cian McNamara (Ireland).
2004 @ Kilmarnock Barassie: Jordan Cox (US).
2006 @ Heswall: Patrick Reed (US).
2008 @ Hesketh: Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand).
2010 @ Lundin: Kenta Konishi (Japan).
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JORDAN SPIETH
I recall that the wind rose a notch every day that week in 2008 and by the third and final round it was almost gale-force.
Moriya, despite never having played in Europe before, was able to make up five shots over the last nine holes and won with a nine-over-par total of 225 (72-75-78).
Lam was the overnight leader but he was blown off course while Spieth bogeyed the 11th, 13th and 15th.
Moriya's birdie at the 17th clinched a notable victory.
The Thailand girl has lived up to her promise of 2008, turned pro and now campaigns on the LPGA Tour. Her older sister Ariya Jutanugarn has just completed her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour.
Still an amateur and a college student in California, Lam, in horse racing parlance, has not "trained on" to the same extent as Moriya and Spieth who won the United States junior match-play championship in 2011 and, after turning pro, had a spectacular rookie year in 2013 on the US PGA Tour on which he won the Deere Classic, one of the youngest tour winners on record.
This year's RandA Junior Open will, as usual, be played at the start of the week of the Open championship.
West Lancashire Golf Club will be the venue from July 14 to 16.
It is sometimes the "supporting cast" who mature into better players than the under-16 winners. US Solheim Cup player Paula Creamer, for instance, finished eighth behind Irish boy Cian McNam,ara in the 2002 RandA Junior Open at Royal Musselburgh and is now ranked No 13 in the world of women's professionals.
Patrick Reed (United States), winner at Heswall in 2006, is now a US PGA Tour player but compatriot Jordan Cox, the first American winner of the Junior Open at Kilmarnock Barassie in 2004, is now assistant head coach to the women's team at Baylor University, Texas.
Title winners since the RandA took over the administrative control of the Junior Open are:
2000 @ Crail: Steve Jeppesen (Sweden).
2002 @ Royal Musselburgh: Cian McNamara (Ireland).
2004 @ Kilmarnock Barassie: Jordan Cox (US).
2006 @ Heswall: Patrick Reed (US).
2008 @ Hesketh: Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand).
2010 @ Lundin: Kenta Konishi (Japan).
SCROLL DOWN TO READ MORE ABOUT
JORDAN SPIETH
Published by scottishgolfview.com