Tway grabs title and a name for himself
LONGMEADOW -- Having hoisted the trophy for television cameras, Kevin Tway calmly walked off the final green, the gold medal dangling around his neck, and found his father waiting.
Bob Tway, a PGA Tour pro and the 1986 PGA Championship winner, embraced his son. He congratulated him for what he had accomplished, and wished him a happy 17th birthday.
That's all Kevin heard before Bob's voice trailed off. Despite Bob's wraparound sunglasses, Kevin Tway knew why.
''He really didn't say much," Kevin Tway explained, ''because I think he was crying."
It was an eye-dabbing day for Bob Tway as he watched his son win the 58th US Junior Amateur Championship at Longmeadow Country Club. In the first 36-hole final, Kevin Tway defeated Bradley Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., 5 and 3, wrapping up the title with a conceded birdie putt on the 15th green before about 500 spectators.
The trophy served as the perfect birthday gift for Tway, who qualified for match play as the No. 33 seed and defeated medalist Sam Saunders -- Arnold Palmer's grandson -- on his way to the final. Galleries flocked to watch Tway because of his surname, not necessarily his ability. That wasn't the case yesterday.
''All everybody's talked about is how I'm Bob Tway's son," Tway said. ''It's fine. I like that, because he's a professional golfer and he helps me a lot. But now I guess they're more interested in me and how I play."
And why not? Tway exhibited mastery with his iron play again yesterday, staking himself to a three-hole lead after six and never allowing Johnson to recover, one-upping him at every chance.
On the 17th, Johnson blasted an iron that skipped once and nailed the pin, offering hope of chopping one hole off his deficit. Then Tway stepped up and launched an approach shot that landed inside Johnson's ball.
''That was the match," Johnson said. ''He played great. I can't count the number of times I thought I'd win a hole, then he'd make a 15-20-footer for par."
While Johnson struggled to keep up with Kevin Tway, Bob Tway struggled to watch. His profession has allowed Kevin a dream childhood for an aspiring golfer. Kevin lives on a golf course in Edmond, Okla. He gets to play practice rounds with pros such as Scott Verplank, and yesterday, he had E.J. Pfister on his bag, the man who teaches his father. He's met players from Verplank to Byron Nelson, and in 1999, he met Tiger Woods at The Masters.
''I don't think he remembers me," Tway said.
But, after yesterday, his name, like Woods's, will be carved onto the championship cup, one his dad never won. That history made the day loaded with emotion for Bob.
''On the last green, I was certainly glad it was over," Bob said. ''I didn't know how much more I could take. I don't know how to describe it. It's just an awesome feeling. It's the most nervous I've ever been. For some reason, watching him play other tournaments didn't seem like that big of a deal. This championship is a big deal. No matter what you do the rest of your life, to win a USGA event is unbelievable."
Without Bob's presence, the conclusion might not have been so rewarding for Kevin. Though Bob liked to watch from afar on the course, his son still found his father in the gallery, glancing at him for comfort.
''There were a couple times where he just smiled at me," Kevin Tway said. ''Every time I look over there, it helps me play better."
He didn't need much help after a scorching front nine that led to a 66 on his first 18 holes, a round in which he carded six birdies and took a four-hole lead on Johnson. The highlight came on the par-3 fourth hole, when he left his tee shot on the lip of the cup, less than one revolution from a hole-in-one.
Though there were still 32 holes left, Johnson never recovered. Now, the USGA trophy gets primary placement on the Tway family mantel.
''I would much rather have this happen than me win the PGA," Bob said. ''That was big for my career, but I've never experienced a week like this."
Tway can defend his junior title next year because the event ends July 22, one day before his 18th birthday.
