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Horstman had quite a summer By Tim Trower What began as a relatively uneventful summer of junior golf has finished with a flourish for Noah Horstman. The senior-to-be at South Medford High established himself as one of the state's top junior players, winning the Southern Oregon Junior Championships, climbing the Oregon Golf Association points rankings and, ultimately, making the prestigious Hogan Cup team that competed against other squads from throughout the West. The latter is quite a measuring stick. "That indicates," says Charlotte Plank, director or the OGA junior program, "that you've had an excellent summer. These kids gear up for that all summer long." Horstman, 17, has competed in more than 20 tournaments and still has a couple left. But it was his play in July and August that had others taking notice. "He has dominated your area," says Plank. Horstman started playing well in late June at the Peter Jacobsen tournament at Forest Hills Golf Course in Cornelius. He shot rounds of 75 and 73, placing 16th out of more than 80 players. He followed that with another stellar effort in the state match-play tournament in mid-July at Tualatin Country Club. After qualifying for the championship flight with 75, he won three matches before losing to eventual champion and state points leader Ted Whitney. Then in the Southern Oregon at Rogue Valley Country Club, his victory with rounds of 73 and 71 catapulted him to fourth on the state points list. "That pretty much capped it off to make the Hogan team," says Horstman, who earned 100 of his current 227.5 points. Oregon fields two teams for the Hogan Cup, the top four making the No. 1 team. Those teams and 10 others played in the 33rd annual event Aug. 11-12 at Riverside Golf and Country Club in Portland. The tournament is in honor of Eddie Hogan, the head professional at Riverside in the 1960s who drowned in a water skiing accident. "I was really excited to make the team," says Horstman. "I just wanted to go and play a few good days of golf." He had his moments, both good and bad, as Oregon No. 1 placed sixth. The first day, he was 1 under par through 13 holes, but finished with two three-putts and a double bogey on a short par 5 for a 76. The next day, he opened with three bogeys and was unable to right the ship, coming in at 81. He tied for 31st out of 48 players. Mike Ostrich of Northern California and Ari Goott of Utah shared top honors at 144. Whitney was the top Oregon player at 146. "The course was really tough," says Horstman, who has a 0.4 handicap despite playing difficult courses all summer. "It was all tree-lined, and none of them were trimmed up. If you were in the trees, you had to punch out. "After the 13th hole, I lost a little confidence and it messed with me the rest of the round. But it was a really good experience." It cemented the notion he's on the right track with his game. Horstman began working with head pro Ed Fisher at Grants Pass Golf Club last winter and, in the process, overhauled his swing. The major change was developing a longer backswing that added pop to the slightly-built Horstman's game. "It's given me a lot of distance and confidence in my swing," he says. Fisher says the swing is only one reason for Horstman's success. "One of the things that sticks out about Noah," says the pro, "is that he has a really good attitude. He has fun and he's very competitive. He doesn't like to get beat. He's fiery." If all works out well, that fire will burn for a long time. Horstman, an honor student, has been sending applications to colleges throughout the West. "I don't really care where," he says. "I just want to play at the college level." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.