Jimmy Bonham, a young golfer from Valencia, qualified for the third year in a row in the U.S. Kids World Championship. But this year's championship was very special. First, it was held in Pinehurst, NC, where
Payne Stewart made history with his dramatic U.S. Open victory in 1999 and where
Jason Gore,Valencia resident,captured the heart of the golf world in U.S. Open 2005. And most importantly, Jimmy's experience in Pinehurst gave him lessons that made him a stronger golfer.
This was a three-day championship event, attended by 960 participants from 47 states and 33 countries. In Jimmy's category, age nine, played 18 holes each round. After the first round, Jimmy was tied forsecond place, shootingtwo under, 70. With his outstanding performance on the first day, he made the California Boys Team who finished insecond place. He is also a recipient of low gross score. For three rounds, Jimmy shotfour over par and finished at 13th position out of 94 participants.
The top five finishers get invited back to Pinehurst for next year's championship. Jimmy has to earn his way again for next year. When he came home, he continued to play the Local Tour and though he missed one event, he hoped to still win the "Player of the Year." After his Pinehurst experience, Jimmy's game had risen to the top. Before the tour championship, he started consistently shooting even or under par, including a tour record of five under par, 31, fornine holes at Alhambra Golf Course.
Earning the title, "Player of the Year," and securing his position for Pinehurst for next year, was not an easy task. It came down to the wire. Jimmy was down in points before the tour championship and it was a "must win." The best advice that his dad/caddie gave him was, "it's a walk in the park . . . it's just any other event . . . just play the course . . . ." After the final day, Jimmy was tied for first. The sudden-death playoff ended on the second hole when Jimmy stuck his third shot on a par five, 18 inches from the pin. With a birdie, he won the play off, earned the title, "Player of the Year," and an invitation back to Pinehurst for 2007 World Championship.
The Pinehurst experience has inspired this young golfer. At age nine, he now knows what it takes to become a champion. He feels fortunate that in the local competition level, there's always another player pushing him and challenging him to bring his best game. For the fall and winter season, he will continue to play in a local tour, CKG Tour (
www.ckgtour.com) to sharpen his skills and prepare himself for the big championship event next year.