Gannon Junior Clinic shows enthusiasm for golf among youth

It was nearly two decades ago that Tiger Woods? record-shattering performance in winning the 1997 Masters turned the game of golf from a relatively low-key sport into a booming business.Today, it?s the flat-brimmed hat and orange-shod look of Ricky Fowler and the pure power of Rory McIlroy that has brought a whole new group of youngsters to the course to try to learn the game.That interest among youth was evident at the annual rite of summer that is the Gannon Junior Clinic at Gannon Golf Course.For the last five Mondays, over 100 boys and girls ranging in age from four to 16 came to the course to get instruction under new PGA pro Dave Sibley and to meet new people from cities and towns like Lynn, Saugus, Peabody and Swampscott, to name a few.On Monday, the clinic came to a close with each participating child being awarded a trophy by Sibley as a thanks for their participation.For Gannon?s new pro, his first exposure to what has become something of a tradition during the summer in Lynn brought nothing but excitement and joy.?It?s been quite a unique experience,” Sibley said. “The kids that came week to week seemed to want to be here and take part in what we have going on. I really feel as though this is something that the kids looked forward to on a week-to-week basis.”The clinic was started by the course?s founding pro, Larry Gannon, and then continued by his successor, Mike Foster.Any questions about whether the course?s junior program would receive a drop-off when Foster retired at the end of last year got answered quickly when nearly 100 kids showed up for the first week of the clinic in July.?These kids are the future of golf, so to speak, in this area. They are the ones who will potentially be members and playing golf out here for years to come,” Sibley said. “It?s our responsibility to develop it. And there?s a lot of relatability to what they see on television. You see a lot of people dressed in orange and red. It?s very recognizable on a weekly basis.”The clinic?s final day on Monday brought perhaps its biggest crowd of the season as kids fanned out all over the spacious confines of Gannon to get their whacks in. Sibley, however, made sure to thank all the volunteers who came out for the five weeks and helped the clinic to run without a hitch.?It?s been great to be a part of it,” Sibley said. “I am excited to see what we have for years to come.”