Pano, McKibbin win junior titles

Lake Worth native, 13, plays up to win girls 16-18 age group.

PALM BEACH GARDENS — In her budding golf career, 13-year-old Alexa Pano said she’s al ready maxed out space in three trophy cases.

After winning the Junior Honda Classic at P GA National on Sunday, Pano said it’s time for her to get another cabinet. The Lake Worth resident played up two age groups to grab the top prize in the girls’ 16-18 division at PGA National.

Tom McKibbin, a 15-yearold from Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, won the boys’ 16-18 age group.

Pano, ranked No. 23 in the American Junior Golf Association’s world rankings, shot 72-73—145 across two days on the par-72 Champion course to pace the group of 24 girls, finishing 11 strokes ahead of her closest competitor. McKibbin fifinished with a 74-74— 148 on the Champion course to lead the pack of 53 boys, winning by one stroke.

Despite playing in tournaments as far away as France in the last year, Pano said she loves to hit the course so close to home at P GA National. It’s the second consecutive year she’s won in the 16-18 age group at the Junior Honda Classic.

“It’s really cool because a lot of people that don’t get to watch me very much get to come out and see me play and I get to see them as well,” Pano said.

Bob Toski, a Boca Raton resident and member of the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame, was among those out to see Pano.

Toski, 91, said he’s known Pano for nine years.

“You ever hear of the word ‘ fundamentals?’ She’s got them all,” Toski said. “She’s fundamentally sound and that’s important.”

Pano was still looking for improvements this weekend. She said she tinkered with a few things that will help her this week when she travels to Ormond Beach to play in the Women’s South Atlantic Amateur Golf Championship.

“I made some changes in my putting stroke and I saw some progress in my swing this week,” Pano said. “So defifinitely in these next few tournaments I’ll have more confifidence.”

Predicting that Pano has a bright future ahead in golf — “she could be a dominant player on the ladies’ tour” — Toski noted that Pano’s strength son the course aren’t limited to her physical talents.

“She’s got a great attitude,” Toski said as Pano putted on the sixth hole. “She’s very, very patient.”

Even with those skills, Pano said the weather this weekend made for a challenging tournament. Her dad, Rick Pano, estimated the wind speeds Sunday topped out above 30 mph. Pano was hit with brief spurt of rain around the start of the 14th hole.

“Honestly, every hole was kind of tough with the conditions,” she said.

McKibb in agreed that weather played a factor. But given his training in windy conditions back home in Northern Ireland, he said he may have had an upper hand over the competition.

“The wind was pretty strong ...( but) I play in the wind a wee bit, so that might’ve helped me,” McKibbin said. It was his fourth time playing in the Junior Honda Classic, he said, and he looks forward to the trip.

Specififically, McKibbin said the U.S. courses he’s played have greens that aren’t quite as fifirm as those found in the U.K. He hits the ball hard, so McKibbin said U.S. courses are better suited for his game.

McKibbin said he “could’ve been a wee bit better” this weekend, but singled out a couple aspects of his game he was particularly proud of.

“My driving the ball was pretty strong,” he said. “And my iron play.”