Liu breaks record set by Tiger Woods to win U.S. Junior Amateur at Egypt Valley

Michigan golf fans who attended the U.S. Junior Amateur witnessed history at Egypt Valley in Ada.

Jim Liu, of Smithtown, N.Y., became the youngest champion in the history of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship with his 4-and-2 victory over Justin Thomas, of Goshen, Ky., in the final match.

The 14-year-old Liu, who was born on Aug. 9, 1995, broke by more than seven months the previous championship record held by Tiger Woods, who was 15 years, 6 months and 28 days old when he won the 1991 championship.

“It is an honor to be just a part of the list of champions,” Liu said. “But to break Tiger's record is just a big plus. I have never thought I would do it, but it just happened to be my year this year.”

It certainly was Liu’s week on the hilly Egypt Valley course. After he quietly made his way through the stroke-play cut, Liu went on a tear through the match-play bracket, with only two of his matches going the full 18 holes.

“The first two rounds I either hit the ball good or I putted well,” Liu said. “I just didn't do it in the same round. After stroke play, I started to do it in the same round. I think that's just a matter of time and luck.”

Thomas opened the morning’s portion of the match by quickly building a 2-up lead through the first three holes. Liu was able to stay close to Thomas through the constant rain, tallying his first birdie on the fourth hole. He squared the match with a birdie that was nearly an ace on the par-3 eighth hole.

Liu started the back nine of the morning round with another birdie and never looked back from there. He shot the equivalent of 8 under par (with the usual match-play concessions) for the morning round, and then cruised through the afternoon round, shooting the equivalent of 1 under par, and ultimately closed the match out on the 34th hole.

Thomas' struggles with the putter proved to be his downfall.

“I played well enough to win, but it was just a couple putts here and there,” Thomas said. “There’s not many times you shoot 5 under in your first 18 and you’re 3 down. It was fun, but it’s unfortunate to lose.”

Thomas, who affectionately refers to Liu as “Slim Jim,” was able to pare his opponent’s lead down to one hole on two occasions on the afternoon’s second nine, the last occurring after he birdied the 31st hole. However, Liu quickly pushed back and won the next three holes to wrap up the match.

“This being my only year, it was unfortunate to get to the finals and not get it done, but I didn’t lose it, I got beat,” Thomas said. “I can’t be upset about that. It’s upsetting that I didn’t win, but it’s not upsetting that I didn’t lose it. I just got beat. He played great golf and deserves it.”

With their appearances in the final match, Liu and Thomas both received exemptions into the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship, being held August 23-29 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.

Egypt Valley hosts U.S. Junior Amateur all this week

There's a chance golf fans in greater Grand Rapids could catch a glimpse of the next Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson.

For the first time in its history, the USGA is bringing a national championship to western Michigan. Starting today and continuing through Saturday, Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada will host the 63rd U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

Jordan Spieth, the 2009 champion, will attempt to defend the title that he captured at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., at age 15. Spieth, who tied for
16th place in the PGA Tour's HP Byron Nelson Championship in May playing under an amateur exemption, will attempt to become only the second player to win back-to-back Junior Amateur Championships. Tiger Woods took home the title three straight times, from 1991 to 1993.

The championship is open to the public free of charge. It will feature 156 golfers competing in two days of stroke-play qualifying on Monday and Tuesday, followed by six rounds of match play to determine a champion. The 36-hole championship match is scheduled for Saturday.

Other past winners of the championship include such accomplished players as Gay Brewer, Johnny Miller, Gary Koch, David Duval and Hunter Mahan. The Junior Amateur has another distinction: It is the only USGA championship for which Jack Nicklaus has been eligible that he did not win at least once. Nicklaus qualified for the championship five times; his best finish came in 1956, when he was a semifinalist.

This is the first USGA championship conducted at Egypt Valley, which was designed by Arthur Hills and opened in 1990. Egypt Valley hosted a Champions Tour event between 1994 and 2004. This is the fourth U.S. Junior Amateur to be held in Michigan, including the inaugural championship in 1948 at the University of Michigan Golf Club in Ann Arbor. The last Junior Amateur conducted in the state was in 1980 at Pine Lake Country Club in Orchard Lake, won by Eric Johnson.