Before turning pro, An wins Middle Atlantic Amateur
As a 15-year-old, Centreville’s Jake An won the first American Junior Golf Association event he entered. Seven years later, An made another smash debut, capturing the 105th Middle Atlantic Amateur in his first try.
Firing a five-under-par 283 Thursday through Sunday at Lakewood Country Club in Rockville, An beat Steve Delmar of Olney, a 2011 graduate of Coastal Carolina and Will Collins of Salisbury, N.C., a 2011 graduate of Virginia, by two strokes each.
An, a 22-year-old and former standout at Chantilly High, had few anxious moments in Sunday’s final round. He began the day with a two-shot lead over Delmar and extended it early with birdies on two of the first three holes. An finished with a 71, his fourth straight round in which he played par or better.
“I wasn’t thinking about the lead,” An said. “I just wanted to play hole-by-hole, and try not to make mistakes.”
At 6-foot and 240 pounds, and with a homemade swing reminiscent of PGA Tour star Jim Furyk, there’s no mistaking An on the course. An tried to change his swing three years ago. But it never felt right
“It’s different. It’s a Jim Furyk- Kenny Perry mixture,” An said of his swing. “I’m not trying to do that re-route that I have. But it’s there. I think I’m taking it straight back, straight down. But it doesn’t look that way.”
An will take his swing to the next level. He plans to move to Florida this winter to compete in the Hooters Tour. Perhaps someday he will join Fred Funk, Davis Love III, and Deane Beman as former Middle Atlantic Amateur champions who made it to the PGA Tour.
“This will be my last tournament as an amateur,” An said. “It puts a good taste in my mouth.”
