Jack Casler protects home turf,
wins coveted LIGA Award
This moment has been 12 years in the making for young Jack Casler. From the moment he picked up a golf club at the age of four, he was dominating the greens at the Garden City Country Club. When it came time to compete at the LIGA Junior Championship held right there, none of the golfers knew the course as well as him.
“For sure, playing at the course helped me out,” said the Garden City native. “I’ve been playing here over a decade, but at the same time it added pressure because people felt I had to win.”
Over two days of match play, Casler beat out four tough opponents, eventually beating Matt Mirocco in the finals to claim the A. Bourne Trophy. The victory earns him a trip to Baltusrol Gold Club this summer to play in the MGA Junior Stroke Play Championship, commonly referred to as the Carter Cup. He also earned an invitation to the 2016 Long Island Open, which will also be played in the Garden City Country Club. An amateur has never won the Open; Casler looks to become the first.
Casler admits he wasn’t supremely confident that he would come out on top during the LIGA Junior Championship. Opponent Mirocco is a highly regarded golfer and Casler lauded his short game. “I thought I was going to lose,” he said.
“I wasn’t always sure at times,” said Casler. “I had a lot of nerves but I had to stay grounded.”
One of those other obstacles he faced was his own hydration. Casler was dehyrdrated on the first day and it caused him to struggle. He didn’t allow that to deter his performance and from that point on he played terrific—shooting a 71 for the tournament.
Casler plans on continuing to refine his game this summer. While he admits it is a long shot that he will make it to the PGA Tour someday, he said he’s going to attempt to try.
The first step will be playing in college. He has some Division-III schools as fallback plans, but his sights are set on Cornell University—one of the most prestigious schools in the country, located in Ithaca.
Casler has solid grades and his grandfather is a professor at the university, which gives him added incentive to attend the school and star for the golf team.
Keep an eye on Casler, who has the necessary drive, work ethic and now, resumé, to compete with the best amateurs in the country.
