ARIZONA NEWS

Tucson boy to do a
man’s job at Tucson Open

By Ryan Finley,
Contributor

The Touchstone Energy Tucson Open, which starts Thursday at the Omni Golf Resort in Tucson, will feature many strong personalities, most of whom are professional golfers.

Add Jacob “the Kid” Rogers to that pool.

Rogers, a junior at Tucson’s Canyon del Oro High School, qualified for the tournament by shooting a 5-under par 67, defeating the entire field of 112 competitors at Tucson’s Arthur Pack Golf Course.

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Last March, a 15-year-old qualified for a Nike Tour Tournament. Rogers, who failed to play all of last golf season at Canyon del Oro due to a personal matter, was excited to hear he could be a part of history.

In an interview with the Tucson Citizen, the teenager said he “had a blast.”

Tony Aguilar, a touring pro who has befriended the teen at a local golf course, will caddie for Rogers in the first round---this is the result of a pact the two made. According to their agreement, one would caddy for the other if one of them made the tournament.

Aguilar, a touring pro, will “just try to keep him relaxed,” he told the Citizen.

“The Kid” has been paired with Joe Ogilvie and Edward Fryatt in a threesome that will tee off at 8:36 a.m. on Thursday.

Rogers showed his age when he was told that he is, on record, the youngest to compete in a PGA Tour event.

“That’s cool,” he said.

The boy, playing in a pool of professionals, is still a kid at heart.