Werner among locals competing in tourney

If the juniors in the AJGA junior-ams are the headliners, Jackson's Tanner Werner has reached the big time.

Werner was paired with a foursome that included his father, Randy, during Monday's junior-am for the Dalhousie Junior Championship. He became the first golfer from the immediate area to play as an AJGA tournament participant in the junior-am.

The event served as a practice round as well as competition. But Werner knows Dalhousie well from high school events such as the SEMO Conference tournament, where he shot a 75; and the Saxony Lutheran Invitational, where he shot a 79.

"I've played it a couple times, so it's not new," Werner said. "It was more about having fun than trying to win."

To prove that point, Tanner's father asked a photographer on the fourth tee, "Do you need a wide lens to take a picture of Tanner?"

And when Randy Werner, dressed casually and in sandals, asked his son to show him the putting line on one green -- "Where should I hit it?" -- Tanner promptly stuck the handle of his putter in the cup.

Werner's performance on the golf course this year has been as large as his stature. He capped his freshman season of high school golf at Jackson by placing second in the Class 4 state tournament.

"He can smash the ball," said Jackson junior Jessica Houseman, who also played on the Indians golf team this spring and was playing in Monday's event as an amateur.

Werner also has played well this summer, placing third in the 14 to 15 age division at the Pepsi Little People's Golf Championship, a regional event in Quincy, Ill.; and tying for 19th among players ages 14 to 18 in the Missouri Junior Amateur.

Werner has been impressed with the AJGA setup.

"I'm not trying to say anything bad about state [high school tournament], but it's ran really well here," he said. "They treat you like you're a tour player."

Werner, who now will try to become the first player from the immediate area to make the cut in the Dalhousie tournament (Trent Hillis of Poplar Bluff did so last year), said he doesn't notice any less pressure this week than the state high school event.

"There's pressure in pretty much every tournament," Werner said.

He thought he would have to shoot under par to contend, which may not be out of the realm for Werner given his breakthrough performance in the high school state tournament.

"We'll find out," he said.