Will Grimmer, 16, of Cincinnati, came into the North & South Junior Championship having won the Ohio Junior Amateur in late June.
On July 10, 2013, he made history at Pinehurst.
Grimmer made 1 bogey – and 10 birdies and an eagle – to fire the only known recorded 59 at Pinehurst, hitting golf’s magic number on the par-70, 6,089-yard Pinehurst No. 1 during the second round of the 35th North and South Junior Championship.
He opened his day with a pedestrian 1 under through five holes, but caught fire from there, finishing his front 9 with three birdies and an eagle on the par-4 17th, holing a pitch from 90 yards.
Grimmer proceeded to shoot 29 on the front side – his back 9 after starting on 10 – sinking a 20-foot downhill putt to record the 59, the new course record at Pinehurst No. 1.
Unbelievably, Grimmer isn’t even leading the tournament. He’s currently third after a 3-over 74 in the first round of Pinehurst No. 6. He trails Gastonia’s Will Blalock by two strokes. The tournament concludes on Pinehurst No. 5 on Thursday.
Here are a few links to mainstream media stories about Grimmer’s special round:
GOLF CHANNEL’S “GOLF CENTRAL:” http://www.golfchannel.com/media/golf-central-wednesday-feature-4/?cid=twitter_gc_v_59_teenager_071113
GOLFWEEK: http://golfweek.com/news/2013/jul/10/pinehurst-59-north-south-junior-will-grimmer/
GOLF.COM: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2013/07/ohio-16-year-old-cards-special-59.html
Gastonia’s Will Blalock wins the 35th North & South Junior Boys Championship.UPDATE:
WILL BLALOCK WINS 35TH NORTH & SOUTH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Pinehurst’s Mr. 59, Will Grimmer, fires final-round 71 to finish 4th
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. – Will Blalock wasn’t about to be threatened by playing in the final group as Will Grimmer, who a day earlier had set a Pinehurst record with a 59 on Pinehurst No. 1.
No, not Will Blalock. Not the Gastonia native whose former teacher, Mike Taylor, won the fourth North & South Junior Championship in 1982.
No, not Will Blalock. Not the N.C. State recruit who finished second in the 2011 North & South Junior, and who came back with an 11th-place finish last year.
No, not Will Blalock. Not the 17-year-old who on Thursday capped his North & South Junior career without – get this – ever shooting a round over par in the prestigious junior championship. Eight rounds, all par or better.
And so it seems fitting that Will Blalock, even with a player throwing a 59 at him, would find some way to not only win the 35th North & South Junior Championship, but do it with a three-day total of 15-under-par 198, four shots better than runner-up Cole Berman, five shots better than defending champion Kendrick Vinar – and six shots better than Grimmer, who turned the golf world upside down Wednesday when news spread of his 59.
“I’m the guy who beat the guy who shot 59,” Blalock said, clutching the iconic Putter Boy trophy to his chest. “Will played great – I mean, he shot 59 – but he still wasn’t leading, and he never had the lead. It is kind of funny.”
Blalock, who did not have a 3-putt all week and had just two bogeys total for the week, opened his championship with an 8-under 63 on Pinehurst No. 6, a round consisting of eight birdies and 10 pars. He made his two bogeys on No. 1 on Wednesday – the course Grimmer shot 59 — but still managed a 2-under 68, taking a two-shot lead into the final round. He led Grimmer by three through 36 holes as the tournament shifted to Pinehurst No. 5.
And while Grimmer was swept through a whirlwind of media attention over the next 24 hours, the 16-year-old from Cincinnati still managed to card a 1-under 71 to finish at 9-under 204. He was no match for Blalock, who closed with a 5-under 67 for the remarkable three-day total.
“I didn’t think about (the 59),” Blalock said. “I was just playing my own game.”
So, too, was Grimmer – as best he could.
“You know, I didn’t shoot 78 or 76,” he said. “I came back with a round under par on a tight golf course with tough pins at Pinehurst. I played really well and don’t feel like I really made a lot of mistakes. Will just played phenomenally.”
Still, it was a day Grimmer will never forget.
“I’ve never gotten more texts, e-mails and Facebook messages in my life,” he quipped. “And then I click on The Golf Channel (Wednesday) night and I see the interview I did with (Pinehurst Resort). I couldn’t believe that. I was like, “Oh my gosh. That’s me on TV.’
“It’s still cool to have gotten the attention of shooting 59. No one can ever take that away from me.”
Concord’s Anna Redding wins the 35th North & South Junior Girls Championship.Concord’s Anna Redding, 16, won the 35th North & South Junior Girls Championship, finishing as the lone player under par with a 1-under 212 following a third-round 73 on Pinehurst No. 1.
“This is the best win I’ve ever had,” she said. “It’s amazing. I still can’t believe it right now.”
Kayla Katterhenry and Rei Nakatani were second with 1-over 214.