Arizona teen makes golf history: 'My hard work is paying off'

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Arizona golf record books were rewritten in July thanks to a teenager.

He shot in the 50s, taking home a summer classic trophy and creating a new record doing it. 

Arizona teen AJ Ramos has lost track of how many golf competitions he’s entered, but, something special happened in July at the Junior Golf Association of Arizona’s Sam Schanafelt Summer Classic.

He shot a record-breaking 59 at Starfire Golf Club in Scottsdale.

“Everything culminated into one round,” Ramos said. “Everything just went perfectly. All the hard work just paid off and everything went perfectly in that one round where I shot a 59.”

He’s just 14 years old and has only been golfing for six years. For most of that time, his dad was his coach.

He won the Sam Schanafelt Summer Classic – his fourth win of the year for the budding star.

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction, and it shows me that my hard work is paying off,” Ramos said.

He says he’ll continue to work hard and be disciplined.

The golfer, who, at just 14, has already seen it all, and knew he had a chance at history on the back 9.

“Going on to 14, the previous hole, I just birdied to get to 8 under. I was like, ‘Oh, 59 could really happen here. I could shoot a 59.’ So, going into the last hole, I was 11 under so I just needed a par to shoot the 59 and I ened up making a 4 footer,” Ramos said. “I was very nervous over if I was able to make it and as soon as I saw it going in, I was overwhelmed with joy.”

Add his name to record books.

He has some advice to add to your game, too.

“You are going to hit bad shots but I think the main thing is, you have to learn from it. Go on to the next shot and do your best at that next shot,” he said.

For some added perspective, only 14 times in PGA Tour history has a golfer shot a 59.