Johnston qualifies for U.S. Amateur
<p>14 year old Ryggs Johnston of Libby wins the 14-19 yr old boys division by 4 strokes at the Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour 3 Day Elite Event. The tournament was held on the 7,000 yd Palms Course at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, AZ. Feb. 14-16. There were 31 players in his division. He shot rounds of 69-71-76 to finish even par with a 216 total.</p>
Libby’s 15-year-old golf phenom Ryggs Johnston is having an impressive summer. Johnston won the United States Amateur Qualifier in Missoula July 20.
Johnston finished the two-day, 36-hole event at 133, 11 strokes under par and three shots better than his closest competition. He shot a four-under 68 in the first round and a seven-under 65 in the second.
“It was a thrill to watch,” said Johnston’s mother, Cindy Ostrem-Johnston. “It was so much fun.”
The tournament field consisted of 38 golfers, with no age restrictions. Only 10 of the competitors managed to complete the 36-hole tournament under par.
Johnston’s victory qualified him to play in the 115th annual U.S. Amatuer Championship, which will be held at Olympic Fields Country Club in Illinois August 17 – 23.
“To win that qualifier and have the chance to go to the U.S. Amateur is a great honor,” Johnston said. “There was some very tough competition there. I knew that I just needed to play my game and not focus on the other players in the tournament because I knew if I played like I could, there would be a good chance that I’d be in the mix. It just proves again that in golf anything can happen.”
Ostrem-Johnston credited her son’s caddy, local golfer Joe Cielak, for helping her son succeed on the course.
“They make such a great team,” she said. “He’s so calm and soft-spoken and he reminds Ryggs to have fun. Plus, he’s such a great golfer and understands the game so well.”