In a summer full of solid performances and good finishes by Jay Reynolds, the UNM junior golfer says the highlight has simply been playing without pain.
"I'm just so glad to be able to get out there and compete without having to worry about my back," said Reynolds, who missed a large portion of the Lobos' 2002-03 season because of a recurring injury in the lower-lumbar region of his back. "Last summer was a living hell for me."
He credits a combination of Prolo therapy - a series of injections into the ligament-bone connection - lots of stretching and diligence for his recovery.
However, it has been a sizzling golf game to match the summer temperatures that has brought Reynolds success on the national amateur golf scene in recent months.
Most notably, the 20-year-old Austin, Texas native shot a career low 8-under-par 61 in the second of a two-round U.S. Amateur qualifier at the Country Club at Waterbury in Connecticut, July 21.
After triple bogeying the final hole in the first round for a 71, Reynolds made some adjustments. With his father caddying, Reynolds went out and dusted a field of 80 players to win the qualifier by five shots.
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"I had about a 15-20 footer on the last hole and it was one of those tough swingers," he said. "I hit it and just closed my eyes. When I opened them and saw it drop, I was like, 'Oh my god, I just shot 61.'"
The 61, six better than his previous competitive best, earned him one of three spots in this year's U.S. Amateur, the world's most prestigious non-professional tournament. The competition will be contested at the venerable Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania Aug. 18-24. Reynolds will try to add his name to a trophy that includes Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
"I wouldn't be surprised at all if I won," the Lobo junior said. "At this level, I'm not surprised to be at the top."
Waterbury was not Reynolds' only good performance this summer. He also won a sectional qualifier for the U.S. Amateur Public Links, shooting 68-69-137 June 16 in his home state.
Reynolds tied for 11th in the stroke play portion of the Public Links, winning his first round match but coming up short against his second round opponent.
In November, Reynolds switched to the long, "broom-handle putter" because he says, "it was easier on my back to practice with it."
The new equipment and "really solid ball striking" contributed to an 11th-place finish at the Dogwood Invitational June 24-27 in Braselton, Ga. The combination also earned him a tie for 21st at the North and South Amateur as well as his high finishes in the U.S. Golf Association qualifiers.
Finally healthy, Reynolds says he looks forward to next week's Western Amateur and the U.S. Amateur the following week. An appearance in the finals of the latter would earn him a berth in the Masters Tournament, and a win would give him a spot in the U.S. Open.
However his summer ends up, an injury-free Jay Reynolds means a better, deeper Lobo squad in 2003-04.
