Mahan Recalls Victory 10 Years Ago

On the 10-year anniversary of his 1999 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship victory, Hunter Mahan, now on the PGA Tour, spoke to the USGA’s Dave Fanucchi at the U.S. Open this past June about it. In one of the more memorable final matches, Mahan out-dueled a virtually unknown Colombian in Camilo Villegas, 4 and 2, at York Country Club in Pennsylvania.

What do you remember most about that week?

Mahan: It was a long week, playing stroke play and then match play. I vaguely remember the course now, but it was a great match play course that you could have a lot of fun with, some great finishing holes. So it was a great week all around.

You were one of the favorites to win that week, as you were enjoying a highly successful summer. Did you feel any pressure as the week wore on?

Mahan: Not really. I remember there were some other great stories of players that week that the media was following. I think we had a 12-year-old kid in the field, and there was a big international splash of players as well.

How did winning the U.S. Junior Amateur change your confidence as a golfer?

Mahan: Greatly. Those were the best kids in the world at the time, so to go through that field and to come out on top, it felt great. So many really good players have won it. It really told me what kind of player I was, and what I could be in the future.

How much have you played with Villegas since that final match?

Mahan: We went on to play college golf together (Mahan at Oklahoma State and Villegas at Florida), and then out here on the tour a little bit. It’s pretty interesting that two kids who were 17 at the time were doing what we did back then and have had much of the same success here as professionals now.

Have you talked to him much about that final match at York?

Mahan: No, I haven’t really at all. Never needed to. But we had a great time that day, and it was a lot of fun.

Did you ever think as you walked around the golf course that day, that 10 years later both of you would be playing golf at the top level in the world, where you are at now?

Mahan: No, not at all. I feel fortunate to be where I am, and for both of us to have gotten this far, it’s pretty awesome.

What do you remember thinking about Villegas’ game that day?

Mahan: Honestly, I can’t remember at all. I was completely focused on what I was doing, and I could barely tell you how I was hitting it back then. I’d love to go back through history, to see if there are any other finals that had two future PGA Tour players.

Where do you rank that victory as far as achievements in your golf career so far?

Mahan: I rank it right up there with anything else I’ve ever done. Winning a USGA championship is huge, so I feel very proud of what I accomplished that week and to have my name on that trophy. It’s pretty special.