Johnston outplays field; wins two golf tourneys
<p>Ryggs Johnston putts Dec. 29 on the Palm Course in McCormick Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.</p>
Phil Johnson
Reporter
A young area golfer has been hot on links. Ryggs Johnston, 13, capped a strong 2013 with a pair of wins in two late-December events in Arizona.
Johnston began his victorious winter break when he won the Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour Tournament of Champions in the age 10-12 division on Dec. 28. Johnston shot a 146, 71 and 75 strokes in two days, on the par-72 Pine Course in McCormick Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“It was exciting to win,” Johnston said. “I tried to get on the green and two-putt. I knew if I stayed on par and avoided mistakes, I had a chance to win.”
The 5-foot-10-inch golfer was eligible to compete in the 10-12 age bracket because his May 21 birthday fell after the Jan. 1, 2000, cutoff date.
Johnston followed his win with another first-place finish on the club’s more challenging 7,044-yard, par-72 Palm Course. Competing among five other golfers in the age 13-14 group, Johnston shot an opening round 73 and closed with a 76. His 149 strokes in two days tied for the lowest score among all competitors, including the 22 golfers in the age 15-19 group.
“We’re proud of him,” Cindy Ostrem-Johnston, Ryggs’ mother, said. “We make a vacation out of it.”
Johnston received his first set of clubs at 18-months-old and began golfing with his parents, Cindy and Roger Johnston, and his grandparents, Norm and Vicki Ostrem. He quickly surpassed his family competitors and began entering tournaments at eight years old.
“I enjoy the challenge,” Ryggs Johnston said. “The good shots keep you coming back.”
Johnston has dreamed of earning a Professional Golf Association Tour card ever since he knew what one was. Johnston said the first player he watched golf was Tiger Woods and he has remained Ryggs’ favorite ever since.
“We will do everything we can to support his goals,” Ostrem-Johnston said. “A lot of it is on him to stay motivated and work hard.”
In whole, Johnston won seven events in 2013. He plans to open 2014 with a mid-February tournament in Arizona. He is currently considering either participating in the U.S. Kids Golf Desert Shootout in Litchfield Park, Ariz., or the North American Junior Amatuer Qualifier in Glendale, Ariz.