Juniors feel pressure at 21st Annual Beatty Memorial Golf
Classic
Gilroy – Some of the junior golfers competing at this week’s 21st Annual Beatty Memorial claim they play better in tournaments than they do on normal days.
Some claim they play worse.
After Tuesday’s first round at Gilroy Golf Course, though, a majority of the field of 29 seemed to agree – there’s just something different about tournaments.
“Yeah, I definitely think there is,” 13-year-old Alex Bassi said.
Count Bassi among those who think it’s more difficult.
“I play (at Gilroy GC) all the time, and in tournaments I always play worse than on regular days,” he said. “It’s just more competitive and I guess you put a little more pressure on yourself.”
Take Bassi’s experience at the par-3 No. 5, for example.
On the tee, he topped the ball and it rolled a few inches from his feet. After hitting his second shot onto the green, he mishit the ball again and it barely moved. He took a six on the hole.
“I’m telling you, that hardly ever happens like that,” said a smiling Bassi, who shot a 54 over nine holes. “Even when it does, I’m usually playing by myself and I can just take my time and do it over again.
“Every shot counts here, though.”
That’s especially true in Bassi’s 11-13 age group, where several golfers are bunched together behind leader Sean O’Grady, whose first-day 45 gives him a five-shot cushion going into today’s final round.
The two golfers tied for second behind O’Grady are on opposite ends of their age bracket and have opposite opinions on the pressure of tourney play.
Nick Guttierez, who turns 14 in a month, has played golf for more than a year. But until a friend convinced him he had a chance against the younger kids, Guttierez had never played in a tournament.
“We usually just play for lunch,” he said.
With a trophy on the line, though, Guttierez shot a nine-hole 50, which he said was about six shots more than his average.
“It’s something about being in a tournament, because my putting was really bad today,” Guttierez said from the practice green after his round. “I missed all the short ones.”
For Steven Hebert, though, a first-day 50 was just fine.
Hebert has competed in several local tournaments, but just turned 11 a mere 17 days ago.
“I thought I might get whooped out there today,” he said. “But I just play better in tournaments … I don’t know why.
“I think today is was just so I could get the feeling of beating the older players.”
In the other two age divisions, familiar names top the leaderboard.
A pair of title winners from last month’s City Youth Tournament – Ben Hartl, 10, and overall champ Stephen Freeth, 16 – lead their respective groups.
In the 10-and-under competition, Hartl (40) has a three-shot lead over six-year-old Ryan Slater, who competed at the World Championships last month.
In the 14-and-over division, Freeth (80) carries a two-shot advantage over Jordan Miller, who won the overall title at last year’s Beatty Memorial.
