Riley’s Work Cut Out Because of Williams’ 67

Carlsbad’s Travis Williams shot a 67 Tuesday in the opening round of boys’ 15-17 competition at the Optimist Junior World Championships at Torrey Pines South. Which means San Diego’s Chris Riley is already nine strokes behind where people expect him to be--in first.

At the age of 16, most people do not yet have to worry about living up to a reputation--especially on the golf course.

But Riley does. And he has had to do so for quite a few years.

Even when he won the 11-12-year-old age division of the Junior Worlds four years ago, he was just living up to family standards.

See, Riley’s father, Michael, is considered the first “really great” junior golfer, according to Norrie West, who was one of the three founders of the Junior World, which began its 23rd run at four area courses.

In the 1950s, Michael Riley was the junior player of the year five years in a row.

Chris also has a brother, Kevin, who as a freshman last year was the No. 1 golfer at San Diego State.

Talk about tradition.

Well, since winning the 11-12 division in ‘86, Riley has learned that his lineage can be difficult to follow.

After that, Riley suddenly found himself atop a pedestal--and he was only 12.

“I was kind of too young to really know what was going on,” he said.

What was going on was this: Riley was quickly compared to his father. He was compared to his brother. And even now--according to Ralph Trembley, a local golf promoter who has been monitoring the junior scene for a couple of decades--Riley is considered, along with two-time NCAA champion Phil Mickelson, the top prospect to emerge from San Diego in the last 10 years.

Some pedestal. The company’s good, but everyone’s always trying to knock you down.

“It’s not like he’s just playing against one other golfer,” West said. “He has to go against the entire field. There can be 20 golfers out there capable of knocking him down, and one of them is going to come up and get him.”

At the San Diego Section individual championships two months ago, three seniors couldn’t topple Riley, then a sophomore. Riley won the event on the last hole by sinking a 20-foot putt.

Easy stuff.

But that was just a county championship. Now Riley is after another world title. To get it, he’ll have to rely on more than his putting, the strongest part of his game.

Now he must be equally strong in getting to the green.

Riley, however was anything but during his first nine holes of the opening round. He made the turn (after starting on the ninth tee) with a five-over-par 41.

“I just wasn’t concentrating,” Riley said. “I was slacking off . . . just looking around instead of concentrating on my game.”

But the back nine was easier. He finished one under at 35 for a total of 76.

“On the back nine,” Riley said, “I decided to bear down, and I started playing good. Now I feel good about going into (today’s) second round.”

Though he made up ground over the final nine holes, Riley found himself nine strokes behind Williams, one of the three seniors Riley narrowly beat out in the section championships. Williams, 17, who graduated from San Dieguito in June, birdied five holes and parred the rest.

“I just played a flawless round,” he said. “I didn’t make any stupid mistakes.”

Notah Begay III, 17, Albuquerque, N.M., was one stroke behind.