PHOTO PROVIDED Logan McGinn stands with his golf bag at the Under Armor World Championships.
South Williamsport’s Logan McGinn is no stranger to the game of golf. He has been collecting and swinging clubs and making putts for as long as he can remember. But no matter where he plays or who he plays against, whether it’s a junior Future Masters tournament or just a friendly group on a course, he’s constantly looking to improve.
Golf is all about improving and improving your game, from driving to chipping and everything in between. And for McGinn? Well, it has definitely improved and continues to improve.
McGinn recently finished fifth in the boys 9-11 age group at the Under Armor Junior World Championships at Disney. It featured the best golfers not only from the United States, but also from Qatar, Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, Thailand, Venezuela, United Arab Emirates, El Salvador, Australia, Peru, Canada, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador , Portugal. and Panama.
“The competition at the Disney Under Armor World Championships was pretty intense. With the 9-11 age group, it’s tough as a 10-year-old to compete with the best 11-year-olds in the world.” McGinn said. “It’s always great to play with guys from other parts of the world. Their accents are also great to listen to and through golf I’ve made friends all over the world.”
Golf has taken McGinn and his family, including his father Paul, who is his caddy, to several tournaments around the United States. He is currently playing in Pinehurst, North Carolina for the US Junior Golf World Championships and earlier this year he was in Alabama for the U10 Future Masters event.
“Logan loves the grind. People comment all the time about how cool they think it is that he could go on the course, hit 1,000 golf balls and somehow have fun doing it. A few years ago, we sacrifice to join us at Williamsport Country Club and it has honestly helped him improve his game as much as possible.” said Paul McGinn. “The practice facilities are the best in the area, the golf course is tough but fair and really helps prepare you to play on the biggest stages in junior golf, and the members and staff are always very encouraging and helpful.
“Practice is where you improve the most, but playing on the big stages against elite competition is all about the experience.” Paul McGinn added.
At the Under Armor World Junior Championships, McGinn placed fifth by shooting 5-under overall. He shot a par (72) in the first round and a five-under 67 in the second. He was behind only Davis Petty (12 under), Niko Gordic-Renderos (10), Matthew Marigliano (10) and Hudson Justus (6), all from the United States.
“The first round I played pretty well, but I couldn’t make the putts go down. The second round started the same way, but then on the back 9 I was on fire.” Logan McGinn said. “I just kept hitting the ball close and giving myself birdie opportunities. The putts finally started falling. I finished the last 9 holes 4 under and only had 12 putts on that back 9.”
After finishing fifth at Disney and finishing fifth the last two years at the US World Golf Championships, McGinn has high expectations going into his Pinehurst outing.
“My expectations are definitely to be in the top 5 again with the main goal of winning the tournament.” said the 10-year-old South Williamsport golfer, noting he also finished in the top 15 at the Under Armor Summer Nationals.
And no matter where he plays, Paul McGinn is impressed by the success his son continues to have every time he competes.
“Success on the course is only a byproduct of his hard work off the course. What we are most proud of is his dedication to improving in all of his sports, not just golf.” said Paul McGinn. “The boy loves to compete. The most important thing is that he has fun and is a good sport whether he wins or loses.”
Today’s news and more delivered to your inbox