Prep: St. Michael's Macias wins PGA Junior Series golf qualifier

Lee Yobbi | The New Mexican

7/2/2008 - 7/3/08

Before Miguel Macias faced the tight pine-lined fairways of Aspen Valley (Ariz.) Golf Club in his biggest tournament to date, he had to face himself.

"Lately, I hadn't been playing that great," said the St. Michael's soon-to-be junior golfer. "I had to be honest with myself and just kind of let go."

Macias, who finished tied for fifth at the Class A-AAA State Golf Championships in May and was beaten in the first round of a match play event in June, was pressing. He was trying to make every shot and every putt, and his score was more in his head than it should have been.

"There was too much going on in my swing thoughts," Macias said. "I was trying too hard."

Macias talked it out with his father, Dave Macias, and the two agreed that Miguel should just go back to having fun and let the score be what it may.

Turns out, nothing is more fun than winning. Macias shot 75-72-69 over three rounds at Aspen Valley to win the Calloway PGA Junior Series qualifier in Flagstaff on Wednesday.

He ended even par and was the only golfer to finish without a total in the black. He bettered Rio Rancho's Chris Ortiz by a single stoke to advance to the Junior PGA Championship at TPC River's Bend in Cinncinnati in August.

Macias birdied five holes on the final day versus just two bogeys.

"It's probably the best I've played since last summer," said Macias, who is on the younger side of his 16- to 18-year-old age division.

He carded just four bogeys over the final 36 holes and nothing worse than bogey the entire tournament.

"We're very happy about (his performance)," Dave Macias said. "And it was an all-New Mexico finish."

Macias played a field that included players from the Southwest: Colorado, Arizona, Idaho and even Hawaii.

"(The players) are very capable and all good," Miguel Macias said. "It helps when you surround yourself with good talent and good golf. You can feed off each other."

Macias hopes that will help him in August along with his new mind set. This having fun thing is just too much darn fun.