No Sweat For Francis In Junior Final

By David Shefter, USGA

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. – Either Philip Francis is some sort of human refrigerator or his glands don’t understand the meaning of perspiration.

As temperatures soared into the lower 90s and the humidity created an even stickier situation for the gallery, his final-round opponent and even USGA officials at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, the 17-year-old from Scottsdale, Ariz., hardly looked like he spent a day in the San Diego County heat.

So while his opponent  for the 2006 U.S. Junior title, Canadian-born Richard Lee of Chandler, Ariz., went through three golf shirts in the first 12 holes of the schedule 36-hole match, Francis looked as if he spent the day on the couch watching the British Open.

He was cool, calm and collected. Oh, and you can add one more ‘C’: champion.

Even when Philip Francis found trouble, he was able to save par multiple times in the championship match. (John Mummert/USGA)

With virtually no body fat and a training regiment that includes working out six days a week, Francis came into this championship healthy, fit and prepared to take on the best under-18 juniors this country has to offer.

And when his 3-and-2 victory over Valley of the Sun friend Lee was in the books, Francis had completed one of the more remarkable junior runs in recent memory. The U.S. Junior title just added to his incredible 2006 trophy collection, along with the prestigious Thunderbird Invitational and Rolex Tournament of Champions, two majors on the American Junior Golf Association circuit.

But unlike those other stroke-play competitions, the Junior is more of a marathon than a sprint. It’s an endurance test that requires the contestant to play 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying and then six consecutive matches over a four-day period, including a 36-hole final. By Saturday afternoon, Francis had walked 153 holes in six days under the most-intense of conditions.

In the final, he played the equivalent of eight under par, with the usual match-play concessions, including a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 ninth hole in the morning round with a 54-degree wedge from 104 yards. Each time the fiery Lee tried to make a run at him, Francis answered.

“He just wears people out,” said Scott Kebbla, Francis’ caddie and former golf pro at Desert Mountain, where he’s been a member since his family moved to Scottsdale from Las Vegas 13 years ago. “He was clicking on all cylinders. It was easily the best ball-striking I’ve seen. I’d say the weakest part of his game was his chipping and other than that, he was flawless.”

Kebbla first met Francis as a 4-year-old who toiled around on the driving range at Desert Mountain. Before the family moved into their home, Francis’ father would come out to Scottsdale to check on the construction and Kebbla wound up being his chauffeur to the nearby airpark, where John Francis owned an airplane. Kebbla was told that John had a son who was starting to get interested in the game. Kebbla happened to be in charge of Desert Mountain’s junior program.

So for about four years, Francis received instruction from Kebbla. By the time he was 8, Francis needed a pro who could take his game to another level, so Kebbla introduced him to Jim Flick, the club’s Director of Instruction, and Francis quickly developed into one of the country’s best juniors. Francis still works with the famous swing coach, and because of Flick’s recent move to Carlsbad, Calif., Francis chose UCLA so he could stay somewhat close to him.

But then again, Desert Mountain offers a world-class facility with six Jack Nicklaus-designed courses. And living in Scottsdale, Francis frequently plays with other top juniors including 2006 Junior contestants Drew Kittleson and Lee, and two top junior girls, Esther Choe (Flick student) and Taylor Karle, both of whom are Desert Mountain members.

“It’s hard not to be a good player growing up in a facility like that,” said Kebbla, who has caddied for Francis some 30 times.

Philip Francis survived 153 holes of golf this week to win the U.S. Junior title at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club. (John Mummert/USGA)

The extensive work with Flick, and his regiment in the gym (he works with a trainer), definitely has showed up this season for Francis. He shot a final-round 65 to win the Thunderbird Invitational and a 63 on his own ball during an AJGA mixed-team event with Choe at Arizona National. He also posted a 65 in the second round of the Rolex Tournament of Champions. At the Junior, Francis tied for second with Rickie Fowler after stroke-play qualifying (68-69—137).

The key, said Francis, is controlled ball flight. The difference was noticeable in the final. While Lee constantly drove the ball past his opponent, it was the more veteran and experienced player who used improved course-management skills to earn the victory. On several occasions, Lee simply short-sided himself or created awkward approach shots to tough hole locations.

“Hitting long is a benefit, but it can hurt your as much as it can help,” said Francis. “I’m not by any means short … but the thing with my game is I’m a little more in control of what my ball flight is doing.”

Francis recalled a moment two years ago when he was in position to win the FootJoy Boys Invitational, but on the last hole, played too aggressively and ended up with a bogey to lose by one stroke.

“That’s what golf is,” explained Francis. “All of the mistakes from doing all that, you learn from it.”

Francis' ascension to the Junior title is eerily similar to what Brian Harman achieved three years ago. In 2003, the left-handed Harman, now a rising sophomore at the University of Georgia and 2005 USA Walker Cupper, won the Thunderbird Invitational, FootJoy Boys Invitational and Junior, while finishing as the Rolex Tournament of Champions runner-up.

This year, Francis won the Thunderbird, Rolex and Junior, and placed 10th at FootJoy. And like Harman, Francis lost in the quarterfinals of the 2005 Junior. Harman did the same at the 2002 Junior before winning at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md.

Interesting enough, both defeated 15-year-olds to win their U.S. Junior titles: Francis over Lee and Harman over Jordan Cox.

Now, Francis can move on to “open” amateur competitions. Next up is the Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club outside of Buffalo, N.Y., and then the prestigious Western Amateur in Benton Harbor, Mich., where he reached the quarterfinals last year. Then it’s the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

Francis certainly looks ready to move on up to the next level.

You can bet he won’t let them see him sweat.

David Shefter is a USGA staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.