Golf Writer Andy Reistetter attended the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and watched the play of the World Golf Junior Series (WJGS) event this week at the World Golf Hall of Fame on the Slammer & Squire golf course. Soon-to-be 2013 LPGA rookie Marina Stuetz, last year's American Junior Girls Champion, was on hand for the festivities as well. Join Reistetter to get a year-end update on the international junior golf scene.
With 81 junior golfers from 19 countries, the WJGS American Junior is truly an international event deseerving of being home at the World Golf Hall of Fame (Photo courtesy of WJGS)
The coach and mother who founded the WJGS, now in Poland, Germany, South Africa in addition to America with plans for further expansion in 2013, opened the evening program. The coach, Tom Burnett who runs his namesake academy near the WGHOF out of St. Johns Golf & Country Club, was more like the mother, holding up a range finder left out on the course during the day's practice round to find its owner.
WJGS founders America's Tom Burnett and Germany's Dr. Susanna Rosswag.
Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation, which is the umbrella organization of the WGHOF, the First Tee and the Golf 20/20 initiative, asked each young person in the room "to keep golf as a central part of their lives." His assessment, based on a 32-year career, is that "the people involved with the sport of golf are without question the best people in the world." He complimented the WJGS with taking a holistic approach and developing the golfers as individual human beings and leaders and concluded his comments stating that the young people in the room "represent everything that is good of the game of golf."
Marina Stuetz came to the Tom Burnett Academy for three months as a final preparation for Q-School at the not too distant LPGA Headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. Tom, a kinesiology major in college knows how to coach and develop a champion, having influenced the likes of Matt Kuchar, Aree Song and Brittany Lincicome. First seeing Stuetz, an "Austrian seasonal golfer" at the time, three years ago at the WJGS event in Poland, he took note of her power, her calculating and systematic approach and her strong self knowledge. While on her bag during the final round of the second stage he saw her stumble home the final three holes to an 83 and just barely making it to the final stage. They regrouped and she shot a more consistent 74-71-70-70-71 to finish 11th and earn a ticket to the LPGA in 2013.
The big girl in world junior golf today is another student of Burnett's- Csilla Rozsa of Hungary who finished second on the Slammer & Squire yet came away with Player of the Year and the World Junior Golf No. 1 Ranking. Sophie Zeeb of Germany finished birdie-birdie to beat Rozsa by one stroke and win the American Junior.
On the boy's side, Albert Eckhardt of Finland, started the final round with a five stroke lead and held off Poland's Mateusz Gradecki to win by two strokes. Gradecki shot a 1-under 71 and came away with Player-of-the-Year honors. Max Orrin of England finished the year ranked No. 1.
Seattle's Marianne Li and her mother Eru are all smiles after a wonderful experience at the Hall of Fame.
The Florida sun shines on the 19 flags represented in the WJGS event at the Slammer & Squire course in St. Augustine, FL.
Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer as well as a Spotter, Research and Broadcast Assistant for various golf networks. He spends time on all four major American golf tours- the PGA TOUR, Champions, Nationwide and LPGA Tours.
Reistetter resides within two miles of the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
A lifetime golfer, Andy enjoys volunteering at the World Golf Hall of Fame and THE PLAYERS while pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached by e-mailing him at AndyReistetter@gmail.com
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