Scotch Plains Junior Golfer To Tee Off In Prestigious Compeition

Scotch Plains, NJ -- Dedicating his entire life to golf, Scotch Plains junior will be one of 54 participants to compete in the 2016 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, South Carolina.

“I feel very honored,” Pak said of being selected. “A lot of kids are saying it is one of the best tournaments of the year.”

Recognized as one of the premier junior players in the world, the 2016 Junior Invitational features the largest International field in the event’s history, with competitors from 13 countries participating.

Following in his three older brother’s footsteps Pak began to play golf at 6-and-a-half years old.

“I just started picking up the clubs and messing around,” Pak said. “I started to take it seriously when I was 9 or 10 years old. From that day on I’ve been practicing every single day.”

Pak would get up at 8 a.m. every morning and practice between six to seven hours a day with a trainer at the Royce Brook Golf Club in Hillsborough. However with the rough winters, Pak moved to Florida for six months out of the year to continue practicing.

“Living in New Jersey during the winter I couldn’t play a single round of golf outside with the snow on the ground so I moved to Orlando to be able to practice all year,” Pak said.

Now Pak lives half the year in Florida and the other half in his hometown of Scotch Plains. He is home schooled now as a junior in high school and rotates practicing at the Hillsborough course and at Orange Tree Country Club in Orlando.

“Right now I am getting ready, practicing, working on trying to score well, shoot low scores,” Pak said. “I am getting ready for the tournament.”

Pak plans to continue playing golf into college and onward.

“I’ve verbally committed myself to play golf at Florida State University then hope to play on the next level with the PGA.”

For more information on the 2016 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club presented by Electrolux, visit www.juniorinvitational.com.