Local student prepares for national golf event
The West Orange Times, Thursday, June 23, 2005

Having won all three of the U.S. Kids Golf tournaments that he competed in so far this year, 6-year-old Sully Zagerman has several tournaments ahead of him this summer.

Zagerman, who will be a second-grader at Windermere Preparatory School this fall, will play in a total of eight tournaments, including the 2005 Callaway Junior World Golf Championship July 12-15 in San Diego. He was invited to compete in the tournament with previous winners that include PGA pros Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Else and Nick Price.

Before the California tournament, Zagerman was slated to play in the US Kids Florida State championship this week in Oviedo. He is also entered in the US Kids event at Wedgefield on June 27. Zagerman is the defending champion for the Orlando Jaycees Pee Wee Golf Tournament that is set for July 18-19 at Orange County National Golf Center this year. His final summer tournament will be at Disney’s Oak Trail Course on July 25.

In 2004, this young player became the Celebration Town Golf Champion in the 9-and-under division. He practices and plays at the Celebration Golf Academy with PGA instructor and former European Tour player Kenny Nairn, a native of St. Andrews, Scotland.

Nairn is the director of instruction at Celebration and is impressed with Zagerman’s hand and eye coordination and appetite for winning.

“Sully enters a tournament to win,” said Nairn, add that his parents don’t push him to compete.

Through his tournament play, Zagerman has had to learn he’s not going to play well every time, that golf is a game of recovery, according to Nairn.

“He’s a sponge,” said Nairn. “I point him in the right direction and he goes there.”

Zagerman proved this by coming back from being four strokes behind in his last tournament to win by two strokes.

Zagerman won each of the three local U.S. Kids tournaments at Lake Orlando Golf Club, Sabal Point Country Club and Heathrow Country Club by at least a two-stroke margin.

He took his first win at Lake Orlando by driving the green on the par-four ninth hole, leaving himself a 12-foot putt for eagle.

The U.S. Kids Tour was founded in 1977 to provide boys and girls ages 4-12 with the opportunity to advance their skills in an age-appropriate competition without long travel distances and expenses.

In addition to his three tournament wins this year, Zagerman achieved his second hold in one on May 21. He did this warming up for his weekly lesson on the junior course at Celebration Golf Club with his nine iron.

When not golfing, Zagerman is an avid pond fisherman. He is the son of Barry and Debby Zagerman of Cypress Landing.