American Junior Golf Association
June 13 , 2003
Volume 2
Issue 4

In This Issue

Eyes Wide Open:
The U.S. Open holds a lot in store for AJGA member Tom Glissmeyer

View From Chateau:
Golf course boxed lunches don't always cut the mustard. Here are some A-list restaurants the AJGA staff never passes up come dinner time.

The Gallery:
There is always fun to be had on and off the golf course at AJGA events.

The Scoring Tent:
Here are the newly crowned champions from the past two weeks of AJGA events


News From the Fringe:

The AJGA Wants You!
There are still many opportunities for you to make your mark on the AJGA by playing in an Open event or qualifier.

Canon Cup Points Update
Points are updated every Monday on ajga.org and printed in each issue of Golfweek

Picture of the Week
Don't Mess with Texas

 By the Book
How well do you know the rules of golf? Not as well as Gus Montano, the AJGA director of education. He'll test you here.

THE AJGA LINK HOME

Subscribe!
Enter your email to join The AJGA Link today!

 
HTML Text AOL


Eyes Wide Open

The U.S. Open holds a lot in store for AJGA member Tom Glissmeyer

Feature by Steve Ethun
When Tom Glissmeyer showed up for the AJGA PING/Marsico Funds Colorado Junior Roundup Junior-Am last week in Pueblo, it was pretty obvious why his smile was bigger than most. The day prior, Glissmeyer accomplished what most golfers only dream – and by the age of 16. His 72-69–141 total at sectional qualifying outside of Denver was enough to earn him a spot in the 2003 U.S. Open held at Olympia Fields Country Club south of Chicago. He will join AJGA member Luke List of Ringgold, Ga., as the lone representatives of junior golf.

Luke List, who joins Glissmeyer at the U.S. Open, will attend Vanderbilt University in the fall
The smile surely covered some fear. After all, we are talking about the U.S. Open. Luckily, a friend was there to quell any uneasiness. The first person Glissmeyer talked to that morning was Derek Tolan, who, one year ago, clawed his way into the field of 156. In terms of how to handle such an event, Tolan was wise beyond his years. He was, by the way, only one year removed from being that unexpected 16-year-old making a jump into the big leagues, so to speak.

“He said to just try to keep focused on the golf, and you’re there to play golf,” Glissmeyer recalled of Tolan’s pep talk. “And it’s kind of hard when you see Tiger and Ernie walking down the fairway. The natural tendency is to stop and watch them. But he said to focus on the golf and just enjoy every minute.”

He’ll get to enjoy certain things he doesn’t get to see during events at the junior level. He’ll have a caddie. He’ll have hundreds of eyes watching his every move. And he’ll be walking the fairways with the very players he would emulate growing up on the practice range.

“I’ve really used (Tiger) as a model to sort of base what tournaments I play,” he said of the player who set the bar for junior golf accomplishments. “He played in a lot of AJGA tournaments – so did all those guys. And it’s really helpful to sort of use their careers as almost a model to follow. For me, it’s been a great help to kind of just see how things progress.”

As of late, Glissmeyer has progressed well on his own. Along with his qualifying rounds that placed him in a field along side today’s golfing greats, the soon-to-be high school junior has done just fine along side his peers. His career low round stands at 63. He compiled a 23-under-par total at his high school’s conference tournament. Over Easter Weekend, he placed third at the AJGA Heather Farr Classic with rounds of 69 and 71. Despite these accomplishments and his straight-As he carries in school, it takes more than focus – and good grades – to make the cut at the Open.

“You know, I’m just going to take this experience and I’ll be able to apply it to the rest of my tournaments the rest of my life, knowing how to handle the pressure and the stress on the course and off the course,” he said of his upcoming experience. “I think it will help me most in every other tournament that I’m going to play because there isn’t anything bigger. I can refer back to the U.S. Open to help me get through any pressure-filled situations that might come up in the future. I’m just going to take everything in and enjoy the week.”