With two tournaments remaining in the Northern California PGA Junior Golf Tour season, Kyle Harman wanted to get some additional work in before his summer vacation ends and his collegiate career begins at Simpson University.
So his dad, Dave, entered him in one of 18 Nature Valley Amateur qualifying tournaments held nationwide.
Now he has an opportunity to play at the legendary TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Verda Beach, Fla., known for its famous Island Green on Hole 17.
Harman won the qualifying event Monday at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, edging out 2009 Northern California winner John Hackett in a playoff.
“I didn’t know what to expect or anything,” Harman said. “It was just another golf tournament for me to play in.”
“Just another golf tournament” culminated into an opportunity of a lifetime.
The qualifying tournaments are broken up into four flights (Tour, Eagle, Birdie, Par), pitting competitors of like handicaps against each other. Harman played with the Tour group, the toughest of the four.
All flight winners move onto the Nature Valley Amateur Championship in November 4-6.
After turning in an otherwise disappointing 8-over-par 80, the Harmans were prepared to head back home to Manteca thinking the score wasn’t going to be good enough to keep Kyle in contention.
Tournament officials advised that he stick around, just in case.
“I was pretty upset,” Harman said. “I was mad just looking at the 80 — it’s not a good score for me at all. I’d rather shoot a 79 than an 80, let’s put it that way.”
But the course plays tough, as he found out in a practice round. Dave called it “the hardest course I’ve ever seen.” Kyle said it’s “insane.”
Harman waited around the club house for roughly two hours, doing anything from eating an early dinner, to trying out golf shoes and testing out putters at the pro shop to pass the time.
“After a while I started checking in on some of the other scores and noticed how high they were,” Harman said. “I was still in first place, and I was shocked.”
That was before Hackett checked in with his 80, forcing a playoff hole won by Harman with a par.
“At first I thought, ‘OK, I just won another tournament,’” Harman said. “Then I realized I’m going to TPC Sawgrass — Tiger Woods calls it the greatest stadium in golf. I’m pretty stoked about it.”
Harman is worried that his shot at TPC Sawgrass may conflict with his commitment to Simpson University’s golf team.
Harman signed to play for Simpson out of Redding last winter before earning his second straight Valley Oak League individual MVP honors and leading East Union High to a share of the conference championship.
“(Simpson) has to come first,” Harman said. “I’m not just going to leave my team. I’ll have to talk to my coach about it.”
Harman is currently third in the Northern California PGA Junior Golf Tour PRO-Power rankings. He has a chance to jump to the No. 1 spot by playing well in the Summer Circuit V Championship at The Resort at Red Hawk — Lakes Course in Reno, Nev. next Monday and Tuesday.
The season ends with the NCPGA Junior Tour Championship at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz Aug. 16-17. The overall Tour champion gets to play a free round at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
So his dad, Dave, entered him in one of 18 Nature Valley Amateur qualifying tournaments held nationwide.
Now he has an opportunity to play at the legendary TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Verda Beach, Fla., known for its famous Island Green on Hole 17.
Harman won the qualifying event Monday at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, edging out 2009 Northern California winner John Hackett in a playoff.
“I didn’t know what to expect or anything,” Harman said. “It was just another golf tournament for me to play in.”
“Just another golf tournament” culminated into an opportunity of a lifetime.
The qualifying tournaments are broken up into four flights (Tour, Eagle, Birdie, Par), pitting competitors of like handicaps against each other. Harman played with the Tour group, the toughest of the four.
All flight winners move onto the Nature Valley Amateur Championship in November 4-6.
After turning in an otherwise disappointing 8-over-par 80, the Harmans were prepared to head back home to Manteca thinking the score wasn’t going to be good enough to keep Kyle in contention.
Tournament officials advised that he stick around, just in case.
“I was pretty upset,” Harman said. “I was mad just looking at the 80 — it’s not a good score for me at all. I’d rather shoot a 79 than an 80, let’s put it that way.”
But the course plays tough, as he found out in a practice round. Dave called it “the hardest course I’ve ever seen.” Kyle said it’s “insane.”
Harman waited around the club house for roughly two hours, doing anything from eating an early dinner, to trying out golf shoes and testing out putters at the pro shop to pass the time.
“After a while I started checking in on some of the other scores and noticed how high they were,” Harman said. “I was still in first place, and I was shocked.”
That was before Hackett checked in with his 80, forcing a playoff hole won by Harman with a par.
“At first I thought, ‘OK, I just won another tournament,’” Harman said. “Then I realized I’m going to TPC Sawgrass — Tiger Woods calls it the greatest stadium in golf. I’m pretty stoked about it.”
Harman is worried that his shot at TPC Sawgrass may conflict with his commitment to Simpson University’s golf team.
Harman signed to play for Simpson out of Redding last winter before earning his second straight Valley Oak League individual MVP honors and leading East Union High to a share of the conference championship.
“(Simpson) has to come first,” Harman said. “I’m not just going to leave my team. I’ll have to talk to my coach about it.”
Harman is currently third in the Northern California PGA Junior Golf Tour PRO-Power rankings. He has a chance to jump to the No. 1 spot by playing well in the Summer Circuit V Championship at The Resort at Red Hawk — Lakes Course in Reno, Nev. next Monday and Tuesday.
The season ends with the NCPGA Junior Tour Championship at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz Aug. 16-17. The overall Tour champion gets to play a free round at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
