SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – National Golf Club assistant professional Jamie Johnson has earned a spot in the PGA Tour’s $5.6 million Wachovia Championship.
Johnson and Kelly Mitchum of Pinehurst Resort grabbed the two positions available in the Carolinas PGA member qualifier, held Monday at Cedarwood Country Club in Charlotte.
Johnson battled rain, sleet and temperatures in the low 40s to shoot a three-under 68. Mitchum shot 67, so the two will now represent the Carolinas PGA section in the Wachovia Championship, May 4-7 at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club.
The day began ominously for the 30-year-old as he made double bogey on the first hole.
"I shanked my second shot and then hit it back and forth across the green a couple of times and made a quick six," Johnson said. "It wasn’t the start I wanted, but I’ve played this game before and had 17 holes left and just tried to hit a good drive on the next tee."
Johnson settled down and parred the next two holes in the sleet, followed by back-to-back birdies on fourth and fifth holes. He continued to rally from there, adding three more birdies and no bogeys to his scorecard over the final 13 holes to earn his first start in a PGA Tour event. He did qualify for a Nationwide Tour event last year, and he played the Hooters Tour in 2003.
I made a lot of putts. It was one of the better putting days I’ve ever had," said Johnson. "I made a couple of good strokes at the beginning of the round and every putt after that seemed to be dead center, which is nice."
Although he grew up in Geneseo, N.Y., before moving to North Carolina for his senior year of high school, Johnson was not comfortable with the cold and raw conditions Monday.
"It wouldn’t have been a day I would have voluntarily chosen to play," he said.
Luckily, Johnson had little choice. And the result of that damp, cold round is an invitation to one of the premier tournaments on the PGA Tour calendar.
"I’m excited and nervous," he said. "I’ve obviously played well enough at times to play at that level, so for me it’s going to be a test of how well I can focus. I know I have the talent, I’ve got to block out the other things."
Contact:
Craig Distl
(704) 377-8622
