Canadian golfer eyes greatness
By GEORGE GROSS -- Toronto Sun
Seann Harlingten, Canada's 16-year-old wunderkind of golf, hasn't beaten Mike Weir. Not yet, perhaps, but the day may not be far off when the Vancouver-born youngster will give any golfer a run for his money.
A week ago the gifted golfer shot three rounds of 69 at the PGA Tour-sanctioned Nationwide Tour's Mark Christopher Charity Classic and completed the 72 holes with an impressive 270 score. His 33rd-place finish would have earned him $2,700, but he had to decline it on account of his amateur status.
You may ask, who is this high school kid who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 175 pounds?
Seann is the son of Hugh Harlingten, former Vancouver stockbroker turned California horse breeder who is a scratch golfer. Hugh Harlingten set an example for Seann and his twin brother, Alex, to become involved in the game he loved.
"It was my dad who inspired me to start playing golf at age eight or nine," the Grade 11 student at Palm Desert High in Rancho Mirage, Calif., told me yesterday. "He was my inspiration, my idol."
And the big boy learned fast. He won the Canadian juvenile championship in Saskatoon last year and finished fifth in the Canadian junior. More recently, he placed second in the junior world championship in July and finished in the top 16 in the U.S. junior at Washington.
"They say I have a natural swing which I was taught at the Golf Academy in South Carolina," Seann Harlingten said. "But I think my long game has been improving lately. I believe I averaged 305 yards in the Charity Classic. I was also putting better this time.
"I admire Tiger Woods and everything about his game. I also like Mike Weir but hope that I'll be able to beat him in the not too distant future. Actually, right now I'm looking more toward the PGA Tour. Now that I know what I can actually achieve, including making the cut, I know it's possible. "
Guided by his father, Harlingten's immediate plans after graduating from high school will be to attend college, probably on a golf scholarship.
His dad, who has worked in various countries, is very proud not only of Seann, but also of Alex. The later is also a good golfer, albeit not as dedicated as his brother.
"Seann fell in love with golf at an early age," Papa Harlingten said. "When we lived in Vancouver, he played at the Capilano Golf and Country Club at age nine. After that we moved to Bermuda and he played there for three years. For the past three years we've lived in California.
"Seann plays golf six to seven days a week. His brother, who has a three-or four-handicap is not that devoted to the game. My wife, Lorill, is very supportive of our sons and very proud of them."
We are aware that the Americans are proud of their 14-year-old talent, Michelle Wie. Deservedly so. But, I will lend my support to the Canadian kid who not so long ago finished ahead of Richard Zokol in a tournament. And that's not bad for a 16-year-old.
GROSSLY ABBREVIATED: The Edmonton Sun's Terry Jones has won the Sports Media Canada's Writer of the Year award. The broadcasting honours went to Blue Jays play by play announcers Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth, while the photography award went to Peter Jones of Reuters for his picture showing Wando winning the Queen's Plate by 10 lengths. The sold-out Sports Media Canada affair will be held on Oct. 14 at noon in the Imperial Room of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel ... Unsigned Minnesota Wild forward Marian Gaborik leads the Slovak League with 10 points after five rounds. He has eight goals and two assists.
