Huddy Heading to USGA Junior Amateur Golf Championship

Walker Huddy had a busy, but manageable, summer golf season set. It included a Southern California PGA tournament in Palm Desert and American Junior Golf Association tournaments in Aspen, Colo., and Beaumont, Calif.

What he didn't count on was qualifying for the USGA Junior Amateur Championship golf tournament at Egypt Valley Golf Course in Ada, Mich.

The United States Golf Association Junior Amateur is a mix of stroke and match play. The first two rounds of the tournament begin on Monday. If Huddy makes the cut, he will begin match play on Wednesday to determine the champion.

"It's an amazing experience," said Huddy, who will be a junior at Calabasas High School in the fall. "It could be a long tournament."

It's turning out to be a long summer of golf for Huddy. Not that he's complaining much. He just had to squeeze in a weeklong trip to Michigan to play in the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Past winners of the U.S. Junior Amateur include Tiger Woods, a three-time champion, and PGA pro Hunter Mahan. Jack Nicklaus played in the championship round five times in a row from 1953-57, but never won. It is the only USGA national championship he did not win.

The tournament has a long history. Huddy earned his spot in the tournament after finishing in a tie for second place at Spring Valley Lake Country Club in Victorville on June 28. He shot 139, playing 36 holes in one day, and finished six shots behind Alberto Sanchez of Nogales, Ariz.

Playing 36 holes in one day was a little challenging, but Huddy said he was able to prepare before the qualifying round.

"I knew that everybody was going to do worse in the afternoon," Huddy said. "I practiced 36 holes in one day. I hit the ball real well all day. I made every putt within six feet, short putts, made a lot of par saves."

Huddy shot a 2-under par 70 in his first round and followed with a 3-under par 69 in his second round.

"I really didn't have to adjust," Huddy said about playing 36 holes in one day. "I had to keep my energy level up, stay patient. I wasn't trying to get angry with myself with what happened out there."

While he expected other golfers to post high scores in the second round of the qualifier, Huddy was able to improve his score. It was another solid showing for Huddy over the summer.

He finished second in the SCPGA junior tournament at Desert Horizons Country Club in Palm Desert, one stroke behind Thomas Baik of Argentina. Huddy shot 5-under par in the two-day tournament. He had two birdies and an eagle in his second round when he shot a 3-under par, 69.

Even though the conditions at Desert Horizons and Spring Valley Lake were similar, Huddy said they each presented unique challenges.

"All courses are different to me," Huddy said. "I didn't really make that many bogeys, just kind of plugging along and put up a good number."

Huddy only had two holes over par at Desert Horizons. He had one bogey in the second round and a triple bogey in the first round.

He followed his second-place finish in Victorville with an eighth place in the AJGA tournament in Aspen, Colo. He was 9-over par in the three-day tournament and finished 16 shots behind David Oraee of Greeley, Colo., who shot 1-under par.

"It was a pretty tough course," Huddy said. "I didn't putt that well. That was the difference."

Huddy said he doesn't know much about the Egypt Valley Golf Course. He has seen some pictures of the course online and he will be able to play some practice rounds over the weekend.

The course is 7,111 yards long and is hosting the U.S. Junior Amateur for the first time. Egypt Valley was a regular stop on the PGA Champions Tour for 11 years from 1994-2004 and has been the site of the Michigan Amateur for men and women.

"It sounds like a pretty long course," Huddy said. "I just really want to enjoy the experience."