Incoming sophomore Ryan Han continued his golfing dominance over
the summer, winning his first American Junior Golf Association
tournament by six strokes Thursday at the Trader Joe’s Junior
Championship in Pleasanton.
Incoming sophomore Ryan Han continued his golfing dominance over the summer, winning his first American Junior Golf Association tournament by six strokes Thursday at the Trader Joe’s Junior Championship in Pleasanton.
Han scored an 11-under-par 199 over the three day tournament hosted at the Castlewood Country Club Hill Course in Pleasanton. Han was the youngest competitor by two years in the top five. Han’s nearest competitor, Cody Blick from Danville, scored a 205.
“It’s great to be so young,” he said. “It means I have a couple more years to learn.”
Han, a member of the Balers’ varsity golf team, started with a first round of 70 but slowly started to pull away as the week went on.
To wrap up his first ever AJGA win, Han had five birdies in the final round to score a 3-under-par 67. But it was day two, where Han truly distanced himself.
Han moved through the course with easy precision, failing to score anything worse than a par.
“I was bogey free” he said.
His key for success was putting.
“My was putting was going really well,” he said. “I got a new putter and it felt pretty good.”
And on day two, his putting saved him.
“I only hit 13 greens – which is low for me,” he said. “But my putting worked.”
Han competed with 72 other boys from 10 different states in order to earn the victory.
“It feels pretty good to go out there and do so well against people that are older than me,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t think too much about age because to get up to the professionals it’s all about skill.”
Han couldn’t remember how many tournaments he has played throughout the summer, but he expects the experience will carry over to the new Baler season.
“When I play these tournaments they bring me some experience practice,” he said.
One of his coaches at San Benito High, Reggie Synegal praised his young player.
“He is playing really good golf right now,” Synegal said. “It’s really great to see what he is doing. He is moving in the right direction.”
