DeMatha junior Jerrell Parrish is excited and proud to be the first African American to compete in the Euro Junior Golf Cup, a Ryder Cup-style international competition, which takes place next week in St. Andrew’s, Scotland.
But, please, don’t ask him about Tiger Woods.
“To be honest, that does get a little old,” said Parrish, a resident of Glenn Dale. “I am a Tiger Woods fan. But he’s not the only player I like.”
The comparison is unavoidable, not just because of Parrish’s angular build (5-foot-10, 165 pounds). Like Woods, the only African American on the PGA Tour, Parrish often finds himself the only black player in national-level tournaments.
When Parrish, 16, plays for Team USA next week in triangular competition against players from Canada and Scotland, he knows attention will come.
“There is added pressure and it makes you a little nervous,” said Parrish. “I’m under a microscope. But I experience it all the time and I welcome it. It sets me apart.”
Apparently, Parrish thrives under pressure. He qualified for the Euro Cup by winning three of the seven tournaments he entered on the International Junior Golf Tour. His best performance came in Hershey, Pa., where he shot 67-74 — 141, to win the 13-15 Division by eight strokes.
Unlike most top junior players, Parrish did not grow up in a golf family. Neither of his parents, Michael and Serena, play. Older brother, DaLawn Parrish, a football standout at Wake Forest, is head coach at Henry Wise High in Upper Marlboro.
But Jerrell took up golf at nearby Glenn Dale Golf Course age 11 and was a quick study. Next week, in the birthplace of the sport, Parrish will get his first taste of links-style golf. After watching the world’s best players struggle at the windy British Open last weekend, he’s prepared for anything.
“They said it could be 90 degrees. It could be 50. We could get wind, rain, snow, anything,” said Parrish. “You need to hit it low and take off the spin. It will be different, for sure.”
