Heimer Tries Hand in Mid-Amateur
By Del MilliganTHE LEDGER
Published: Friday, September 5, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 3:16 a.m.
Justin Heimer of Winter Haven has a simple strategy for shooting low numbers — just get the ball on the green.
WINTER HAVEN'S JUSTIN HEIMER will play in the Mid-Amateur Championship.
Heimer has won three of Polk County's four major amateur golf tournaments in the past three years with exceptional putting, ripping off strings of birdies at a time.
Starting today in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, Heimer hopes he can putt as well on bent grass greens in Wisconsin as he does on Florida's Bermuda greens.
'They're quick. And they're pure,' Heimer said after playing a practice round at Milwaukee Country Club on Friday morning. 'I've got some experience on bent grass greens. I love them. I'm getting acclimated to them and I feel like I've got a good feel for the speed.'
Heimer qualified for the Mid-Amateur, his first appearance in a major United States Golf Association competition, at Lake Jovita in Dade City by relying on clutch putting, including a pair of 30-footers and crucial par saves from 6 to 8 feet on the last two holes to shoot 72.
'I'm still going to be counting on that putter to bail me out of some situations, and hopefully I'll make a few birdies,' he said.
Heimer, 28, is one of 264 amateurs age 25 and older competing in the golf tournament at River Hills, Wis.
The format features two rounds of stroke play today and Sunday. The top 64 golfers advance to match play starting on Monday.
'If I can just keep to the game plan, which is to hit the fairways and the greens, and try to make a couple of putts, I think even par will get you to match play,' he said. 'And once you get into match play, anything can happen. It's hole by hole, shot by shot.
'From there, we'll just see how far we can go. I feel like I'll be a good match-play player because of my strength on the greens,' added Heimer, who works his magic with a Ping Answer putter.
Should Heimer make it through five rounds of match play to get into Thursday's finals, he would be playing not only for the trophy, but for a berth in the 2009 Masters.
'We won't think about that until we get to the finals,' said Heimer, who is one of three Polk golfers competing in USGA tournaments this summer.
Steve Maddox of Lakeland and Bruce Scamehorn of Winter Haven will play in the U.S. Senior Amateur in late September at Fort Worth, Texas.
In Milwaukee, Heimer will have Brian Staveley of Winter Haven carrying his bag. Staveley is a friend from Heimer's hometown in Maryland, as is Heimer's swing coach, Burney Garner of Winter Haven.
The first two rounds are at Milwaukee Country Club and Brown Deer Park Golf Course, site of a PGA Tour stop and where Heimer tees off on today.
All match-play rounds are at Milwaukee Country Club.
Heimer, who also came within a stroke of qualifying for the U.S. Amateur earlier this summer, won the Polk County Amateur Championship for the second time in three years in early August at Lake Region Yacht and Country Club.
Also the 2006 Polk Amateur champion, Heimer started the 2008 season by winning the Ben Hill Griffin Memorial Invitational at Lake Wales Country Club.
He also finished in the top five at Polk's other two local majors, the 4-Ball Invitational and the Youth Villa Classic.
Heimer said his game is as good as it's been in recent years because he's not focused so much on mechanics.
'I don't have to think about it as much,' Heimer said. 'I'm pretty much a feel player, and when a feel player tries to get too mechanical, it might not be too good.
'The main thing I've done in the last couple of years is to just let it go,' Heimer said. 'We work on small things. We don't try to reinvent the wheel.'
By Del MilliganTHE LEDGER
Published: Friday, September 5, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 3:16 a.m.
Justin Heimer of Winter Haven has a simple strategy for shooting low numbers — just get the ball on the green.
WINTER HAVEN'S JUSTIN HEIMER will play in the Mid-Amateur Championship.
Heimer has won three of Polk County's four major amateur golf tournaments in the past three years with exceptional putting, ripping off strings of birdies at a time.
Starting today in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, Heimer hopes he can putt as well on bent grass greens in Wisconsin as he does on Florida's Bermuda greens.
'They're quick. And they're pure,' Heimer said after playing a practice round at Milwaukee Country Club on Friday morning. 'I've got some experience on bent grass greens. I love them. I'm getting acclimated to them and I feel like I've got a good feel for the speed.'
Heimer qualified for the Mid-Amateur, his first appearance in a major United States Golf Association competition, at Lake Jovita in Dade City by relying on clutch putting, including a pair of 30-footers and crucial par saves from 6 to 8 feet on the last two holes to shoot 72.
'I'm still going to be counting on that putter to bail me out of some situations, and hopefully I'll make a few birdies,' he said.
Heimer, 28, is one of 264 amateurs age 25 and older competing in the golf tournament at River Hills, Wis.
The format features two rounds of stroke play today and Sunday. The top 64 golfers advance to match play starting on Monday.
'If I can just keep to the game plan, which is to hit the fairways and the greens, and try to make a couple of putts, I think even par will get you to match play,' he said. 'And once you get into match play, anything can happen. It's hole by hole, shot by shot.
'From there, we'll just see how far we can go. I feel like I'll be a good match-play player because of my strength on the greens,' added Heimer, who works his magic with a Ping Answer putter.
Should Heimer make it through five rounds of match play to get into Thursday's finals, he would be playing not only for the trophy, but for a berth in the 2009 Masters.
'We won't think about that until we get to the finals,' said Heimer, who is one of three Polk golfers competing in USGA tournaments this summer.
Steve Maddox of Lakeland and Bruce Scamehorn of Winter Haven will play in the U.S. Senior Amateur in late September at Fort Worth, Texas.
In Milwaukee, Heimer will have Brian Staveley of Winter Haven carrying his bag. Staveley is a friend from Heimer's hometown in Maryland, as is Heimer's swing coach, Burney Garner of Winter Haven.
The first two rounds are at Milwaukee Country Club and Brown Deer Park Golf Course, site of a PGA Tour stop and where Heimer tees off on today.
All match-play rounds are at Milwaukee Country Club.
Heimer, who also came within a stroke of qualifying for the U.S. Amateur earlier this summer, won the Polk County Amateur Championship for the second time in three years in early August at Lake Region Yacht and Country Club.
Also the 2006 Polk Amateur champion, Heimer started the 2008 season by winning the Ben Hill Griffin Memorial Invitational at Lake Wales Country Club.
He also finished in the top five at Polk's other two local majors, the 4-Ball Invitational and the Youth Villa Classic.
Heimer said his game is as good as it's been in recent years because he's not focused so much on mechanics.
'I don't have to think about it as much,' Heimer said. 'I'm pretty much a feel player, and when a feel player tries to get too mechanical, it might not be too good.
'The main thing I've done in the last couple of years is to just let it go,' Heimer said. 'We work on small things. We don't try to reinvent the wheel.'
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