SPORTS

Johnny Widmer: In the footsteps of greatness

Johnny Widmer kept his eye on the prize.

Tuesday,  August 2, 2005

When he stepped onto the top of the podium at the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships, Johnny Widmer not only took the biggest win of his career, he was also following in the footsteps of some of the greatest names in modern golf. For the list of former winners include names such as 2001 PGA Championship winner David Toms, and three of the top five ranked golfers in the world today.

Phil Mickelson, currently fourth on the world golf rankings, won the event back in 1980 in the 10 and under division. Ernie Els, currently number three on the rankings, won in 1984 in the 13 to 14 division.

World number one Tiger Woods won the event an astounding six times. His first win was in 1984, when he won the 10 and under division. He defended his title in 1985, and then returned in 1988 to take the 11 to 12 title. From 1988 to 1991 he won his division every year.

Commonly referred to as The Optimist, the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships is one of the largest and most prestigious junior golf events in the world. The event draws more than 750 junior golfers from 30 countries every year.

The event took place from 21 to 31 July, and was held at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Widmer, who was born and bred in Cayman, participated in the 14 to 15 age division. Although he was five shots down on the leader after the first round, he came out firing on all cylinders in the second round, and scored a brilliant 68. This while the first-round leader could only manage a 76. He then cemented his dominance with a 69 in the final round. This brought his total to six under par, five strokes clear of his closest competitor. His five-stroke winning margin was one of the largest in the history of the tournament. Widmer returned to the Cayman Islands on Saturday.

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