Eat. Sleep. Golf. That was the life of Alex Hird during summer
vacation.

Hird, a senior on the Big Bear High School boys golf team, played
more than 20 tournaments on the summer junior golf circuit also
known as the SCPGA summer series.

“It’s been pretty much my whole life in the last three months,”
Hird says. “I think I was home maybe for three or four days this
summer.”

Hird is ranked ninth in the state among his age division during the
summer season, finishing in the top five in seven tournaments. He
finished second at the Los Robles Summer Championship on July 20,
and second at the Scratch Junior Golf Championship at Robinson
Ranch on Aug. 19. But it was his first-place finish at the Tamarisk
Junior Championship Aug. 3 that is most impressive.

Big Bear High School was already in session so father and coach
Scott Hird was unable to accompany Alex to the event. “Alex got up
at 3:30 a.m. and drove himself to Palm Springs,” Scott says. “The
amazing thing is he had a double eagle on the first hole.”

“I was just trying to get it onto the green,” Alex says. “We were
looking straight into the sun and none of us saw it go in. I had
even started looking for the ball off the back of the green when
they told me it was in the hole.” Alex finished with a 71 for the
title.

Alex plays on the Toyota Tour Cup series through the rest of the
year. He is also exempt from qualifying in 2012. “It was my goal at
the beginning of the summer to get into the Toyota Tour Cup,” Alex
says.

Goal No. 1 accomplished. Earning a spot on the Toyota Tour was a
necessary step to accomplishing goal No. 2—playing on the college
level. “You have to move up to the upper level to get your name out
there,” Alex says. “I’ll be playing on harder courses from the very
back tees. College coaches will be out there watching us.”

Scott says they are busy researching schools and making contacts on
their own. “Because Alex doesn’t have a national ranking, nobody’s
going to contact us,” Scott says.

Living in the mountains sets Alex apart from the rest of the field.
There’s more traveling involved, both for practices and
tournaments. “I’m playing more often so I’m more consistent,” Alex
says.

Add that on top of all of his school activities, Alex is a busy
guy. There’s work to do in three AP classes—Spanish, English and
statistics—and an honors class in government and economics. Alex is
also ASB vice president. “I’m probably at school at least a hour or
so more than the regular day,” Alex says. “And I love doing ASB. I
definitely don’t sit at home and watch TV.”

Alex played his first Toyota tournament Sept. 3 and 4. He finished
with a two-round total of 158 and finished in the middle of the
field of 68 players. “I had six penalty shots that killed me (the
first round),” Alex says, adding that he felt good being able to
come back and play well the second day.

Alex hopes to play another three or four tournaments before the De
Anza League season begins. Then, it’s graduation and on to college
life. “I know I’m not going to go to UCLA to play golf,” Alex says.
“The most important thing is getting my education. If I don’t get a
scholarship somewhere, wherever I end up I will try to walk on. I
think it will be really fun to play college golf.”

Contact reporter Kathy Portie at 909-866-3456, ext. 135 or by email
at kportie.grizzly@gmail.com.

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