For the first time in his young golfing career, St. Joseph High School junior Chris Blystone can enjoy making a splash.
On March 29, Blystone beat out 71 other American Junior Golf Association hopefuls from all over the western United States and Canada, taking the Boys’ Division crown in the Golf World Preseason Junior at Vandenberg’s Marshalia Ranch.
The 36-hole tournament was the first-ever AJGA appearance for the golfer, who fired a 1-under 141.
“I went out there and just tried to play confident,” Blystone said. “It shows that I can play well enough against good players.”
Blystone is no golf newbie. He said the sport’s been in his blood since he was a child and he learned it from his father. He’s out on the course at Santa Maria Country Club almost daily, bettering his game and working toward his goal of getting to the Professional Golf Association tour.
“It’s always fun playing in competitions and trying to prove that all your practice is paying off and it’s all working,” Blystone said. “Meeting new people is pretty cool, too.”
The victory at the preseason junior event earned Blystone several AJGA exemptions, which raise his player status and qualify him for a shot at more tournaments. He said he’ll continue to play in competitions throughout the summer, in addition to helping the St. Joseph golf team (currently ranked second in the Los Padres League) to a championship.
The AJGA, a nonprofit organization with more than 5,000 members, holds its tournaments to showcase young golfers looking to secure scholarships. To make it to the pro ranks—like former AJGA alumni Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson—Blystone knows he needs to take it one step at a time.
“I’d have to work really hard,” he said. “Right now, my main focus is just to play college golf somewhere.”
This article appears in Apr 9-16, 2009.