GOLFERS: GRANDAD, DAD IS 'DA MAN'

JACKSON -- It is widely believed that Tiger Woods is responsible for the golf revolution among today's youths.

But according to a handful of young golfers at the Heartland Junior Championship at Bent Creek Golf Course on Tuesday, the feisty and heavily publicized Woods wasn't a major influence on their introduction to the sport.

Instead, there seems to be a paternal link between today's young golfers and the generations of golfers that preceded them.

Brandon DeWitt, 15, of Sikeston said his grandfather was the one who spurred his interest in the game.

"It's a sport that anyone can play," said DeWitt who was one of 122 participants in what is believed to be the largest junior golf tournament in the state. "It doesn't matter how big you are, how strong you are, how young you are or how old you are."

There are definitely golfers of all sizes in the three-day tournament which opened play Tuesday. The ages however are all young, ranging from 10 to 18.

Like DeWitt, Matt Litzelfelner caught the golf-loving syndrome from his father and grandfather.

But Litzelfelner, a 14-year-old from Jackson, has an additional reason to enjoy the sport -- his father and grandfather built Bent Creek Golf Course. Mike Litzelfelner is also the tournament coordinator.

"My grandpa and my dad had the most (influence)," Litzelfelner said after shooting a 77 on the par-72 layout. "When they built it, I just started to play."

Though Matt Litzelfelner's father, Mike, believes that television, and the success of young golfers such as Woods, David Duval and Justin Leonard, are probably the biggest reasons for the sport's surge in popularity, he did mention golf's indefinite age boundaries as a major plus.

"There's no generation gaps," Mike Litzelfelner said. "Young people can play with old people. That's not necessarily the case with other sports. And I think more dads and moms are playing now and these kids always want to do what their parents are doing.

"They get into it, and once they start, it gets into their blood and it can be very enjoyable."

"My dad started me when I was about 2," said Tim Stieren, 13, from Springfield, Ill. "I've always loved it."

Stieren, who was tied for the lead of the 13-14 year-old division with a 76, plays in about two golf tournaments a week during the summer months.

But the passion for golf isn't always passed from parents.

Jonathan Spence, 13, of Sikeston drew his interest in golf from television. He said his favorite golfer is David Duval.

"(I got involved) from just watching people hit on TV on the tour," said Spence, who shot an 84 and will participate in about 10 tournaments this summer. "It's (the golf course) a place to go out and be serious, but you can have a good time too. I just love the game."

NOTES: After the second round of the Heartland Junior Championship is completed today, two-thirds of the golfers will qualify for the final round on Thursday. "We decided to make the cuts generous," said Litzelfelner. "We took a conservative approach. We want to give as many as possible a chance to play in the final round." ...

Conditions during the first round were miserable with temperatures topping out in the 90s. Litzelfelner said there were no health problems. "We were very conscious of the heat," he said. "We had water and Gatorade everywhere."

"At the end you get tired and it's hard to concentrate," Stieren said. "You have to drink a lot of water." ...

The best score recorded on Tuesday came out of the 15-16 year-old age division. Both Ryan Griggs of Sikeston and Billy Woosley of Murphysboro, Ill., shot 73s. Justin Yoder of Versailles shot a 40 over nine holes to lead the 10-12 division. For the top five place-finishers in each age group, refer to Scoreboard on Page 2B. ...

There are participants from five different states in the Heartland Junior Championship. ...

The tournament is sponsored by the Friends of Saint Francis.