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Swanson Joins Junior Masters Field

Submitted Photo Darien Swanson of Westfield will compete in the Junior Masters in June.

Darien Swanson played a strong round of golf the first time he had a chance to step on to the tee at East Aurora Country Club last weekend. So good, in fact, that it earned him a chance to play a few more rounds at the club against some of the best amateurs in the world.

The Westfield junior carded an 87 during qualifying for the 2021 International Junior Masters on Saturday, and will now return to the club for a full slate of championship action beginning on June 28.

The International Junior Masters was founded at East Aurora in 1953, and includes a field of invited amateurs and golfers who successfully qualified after submitting applications.

“My dad talked to me about it and we signed up for the qualifier and I went up and played,” Darien Swanson said. “You just have to shoot a good enough score to qualify and that is what I did. It was tough conditions. It was the first time I had ever played there. It was a nice course and I had a good time.”

Swanson battled his way through a course he described as “wet and windy,” to earn a spot in the 80-man field.

Tournament week begins with the Ham Am fundraiser scramble on Monday, followed by the first 18-hole medal round and long drive championship on Tuesday.

Wednesday will be the second 18-hole medal round and the champions awards dinner, followed by elimination matches Thursday, with semifinal and finals matches being played on Friday.

According to tournament officials, “All entrants will play a match Thursday morning. This is the start of elimination. Winners continue to play. Match winners are paired for the afternoon matches.”

The International Junior Masters boasts a long list of entrants who have gone on to PGA Tour success, including Trevor Immelman, Rory Sabbatini, Jim Furyk, and Ontario native Corey Conners, who finished fifth at this year’s Master’s Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

“The people that put this on up at East Aurora, it is put on by the members and their PGA staff and it has been going I believe since 1953,” Nolan Swanson, Darien’s father, said. “They are very proud of this tournament, they claim it is one of the best junior tournaments in the country. It is age 14-17. It is very good for (Darien) to just get in there and play with kids who probably do have experience (at this level).”

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