Aug. 29, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - While most UCF students spent the summer relaxing, taking classes or working, freshman Jhared Hack of the men's golf team kept busy on the course. Just days prior to his 18th birthday, Hack claimed the Western Amateur championship in early August.
The Western Amateur is considered the second-best amateur event in the country after the United States Amateur. The tournament is annually played in Benton Harbor, Mich.
To win the event, Hack played four rounds of stroke play, followed by four matches. The Sanford native defeated Alex Prugh, 1 up, in the final match. Prugh recently wrapped up his collegiate career at Washington.
Hack entered the tournament without specific expectations. He was simply hoping to play consistently.
"Going in, I just hoped to make the first cut. I did not put pressure on myself," said Hack. "When I made it to match play, I knew that anything could happen."
Hack became just the second 17-year-old to win the event and also the second individual to claim both the Western Junior and the Western Amateur. He claimed the Western Junior during the summer of 2006 in Illinois.
At the Western Amateur, Hack was one of the youngest players in the field. The tournament was open to players from all age levels and the oldest competitor was in his upper-50s.
Hack earned 2006 American Junior Golf Association First-Team All-America honors. He tied for third at the Florida State Amateur Championship. As a result of his performance at the Western Amateur, he moved into the top-20 of the Golfweek/Titleist Men's Amateur Rankings.
For Hack, what made the win at the Point O'Woods Golf & Country Club in Michigan so special was the event's history. Since it was first held in 1899, the Western Amateur has produced many notable champions.
Phil Mickleson claimed the event in 1991, Justin Leonard was the champion in 1992 and 1993 and Tiger Woods posted a victory in 1994. Woods' win served as his first major victory in amateur competition, coming just three weeks before he claimed the 1994 U.S. Amateur title.
Some of the top golfers in history won Western Amateur titles early in their careers, including Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange and Hal Sutton.
"Looking at the list of champions, it was incredible to know that I would be listed with them," said Hack. "Thirty years from now, someone will see my name on that list too."
UCF head coach Nick Clinard believes that Hack has the potential to earn All-America honors this upcoming season.
"Jhared is an extremely mature young man who possesses an outstanding work ethic and loads of talent. His best asset is his mind and that will continue to help him develop as a player," said Clinard. "The win at the Western Amateur will indeed help him prepare for college as it will give him the confidence to compete and win against the best."
Now that he has arrived on campus, Hack's focus is on helping the Knights develop into a top squad that participates in the NCAA Championship each year.
"I want to help the team become a top-25 collegiate golf team. I think we can do it."