With a large crowd on hand to see Charlie Woods, Purdue commit Sam Carraher created fans of his own entering final round of PGA Junior Championship.
WEST LAFAYETTE - Purdue commit Sam Carraher, a senior from Crown Point, found comfort and excitement in the large crowd that surrounded him while being paired with Charlie Woods.
Not only did they watch Woods play high-level golf, but they also got to see Carraher as well.
And with those eyes watching, Carraher delivered on the big stage.
Carraher sat in seventh place after finishing -10 and shot 69 in the third round, entering the final round of the Junior PGA Championship.
"My game feels really good," Carraher said. "I felt like I played really good yesterday. Today, just keep the momentum going, hit some really good shots. I battled through some adversity, but hopefully I can make some really nice putts."
Laughter shared by Carraher and Woods was a gentle reminder in one of the most prestigious amateur golf tournaments in the world that both boys, living in different parts of the country, are still regular teenagers.
"(Charlie Woods) is an awesome player and he's an awesome kid," Carraher said. "He's won a few tournaments, and he played awesome (Thursday), and he's a kid just like u,s grinding out here. He's really cool, he's funny, and it was fun getting to know him."
Several shots have caught the attention of fans, including his near eagle on the fourth hole on Thursday.
His father, Ron, was heard in the background trying his best to contain the excitement as oooohs and ahhhs from the crowd delighted in the 5-foot-9 senior from "The Region".
"I couldn't see the pin too well, and I thought I heard some claps," Carraher said. "I just try to stay really level-headed," Carraher said. "I try not to stay too high on the highs or low on the lows. I just go out there and have fun."
Carraher will attempt to capture the Junior PGA Championship trophy and will be joined by Ronin Banerjee of Irvine, CA, with whom he was paired on Thursday, and Luke Balaskiewicz of Jacksonville, Florida.
The winner and runner-up of the Junior PGA Championship will receive an automatic invite to join the US Junior Ryder Cup team if the winners are in the high school class of 2026 or younger.
"My swing feels really good, my putting feels really good," Carraher said. "I just want to keep these feelings going, just stay focused and go out there and prove it to myself."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue commit Sam Carraher playing Junior PGA Championship with Charlie Woods
Category: General Sports
