Josh Yan was most passionate about hockey as a small child and an interest golf only came about for him and his older brother when their stepfather got into the sport. And that wasn’t all that long ago.
Josh competed in his first tournament as a 9-year-old and that, too, was only a few years ago. Even he admitted that his success in golf does often “surprise me,” and he still is wrapping his mind around how much he has improved and how quickly.
A lot of other folks now are marveling as well after the 16-year-old won the Dutchess County Amateur Championship on Sunday and set a tournament record in the process.
“It feels really good,” he said with a chuckle. “I went in thinking I’d have a chance to win if I could stay consistent, but it’s amazing to actually have it happen, and to do it against all these good adults.”
The Newburgh native shot a record 9-under par, totaling a 207 in the three-day tournament at McCann Memorial Golf Course in Poughkeepsie. He finished five strokes ahead of last year’s champion Luke Whalen, who tied for second with the 2022 champ Brian Viola.
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“He’s an exceptional talent,” said Mark Webber, the tournament chairperson. “He played with Brian and Luke, and they both said afterwards that he’s remarkable. His ball-striking is excellent, he doesn’t make mistakes, and he’s mature beyond his years.”
And he’s been on a quite a run the last few months. Josh Yan, who recently completed his sophomore year at Newburgh Free Academy, won a second straight Section 9 boys title in May, came within a stroke of capturing the New York high school state championship, and last weekend left the grownups awestruck in this longstanding tournament.
“I like where my game is right now,” said Yan, who celebrated later with his family over a steak dinner.
He is among the best teenage golfers in the region and will compete next week in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in Michigan. His brother Mark Yan shot a 165 over the first two rounds and didn’t advance, but he also excelled at the scholastic level. The 18-year-old graduated Newburgh last month and will play golf at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown.
Although the brothers aren’t Dutchess County residents, their membership at Trump National in Hopewell Junction makes them eligible to compete in this tournament. Josh has played in it the last three years.
He shot a 68 on Friday, tying for the lead in the opening round, but it was a birdie on the seventh hole Saturday that boosted his confidence. Yan executed an impressive 100-yard wedge shot, setting himself up for a 2-foot putt. That, he said, “set the tone for me the rest of the way.”
Nick DiMarco Jr. totaled a 2-under 214 for fourth place. Adam Seifts and Dan Gabel each shot 217, and Jim Dunn had a 218 for seventh. They were among the top finishers in a field of 65.
“The layout and the conditions of the course made people enjoy playing here,” Webber said. “I think having a 16-year-old win is good because it highlights the young talent in the area and lets people know there aren’t just a handful of guys winning it every year. There are people in their 70s and teenagers in this, and it’s competitive.”
The front nine at McCann was renovated in the spring, with the installation of a new drainage system, and the course conditions last weekend were conducive to low scores. Ten players shot under par on Friday. But, Webber said, the course this year was designed to “play a little shorter” in the first round then become increasingly difficult.
Yan was seemingly unfazed. He had a 138 after two rounds, holding a two-stroke lead on Viola, then carded a 69 on Sunday to pull away.
“Brian is a great player and I thought if I was going to win, I needed to shoot under par,” Yan said. “I had a ‘birdie’ mindset on every hole, but I didn’t know I broke a record until afterwards, and I was shocked. But the goal is always to get better, so now I want to break this record next year.”
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Golf: Yan sets record, tops Viola and Whalen to win Dutchess Amateur
