Hagestad takes second

Stewart Hagestad used Monday to relax. The Newport Beach resident must prepare for the U.S. Amateur Championship, but after a strong, yet somewhat humbling outing in Florida, he needed to unwind.

For the second straight year, Hagestad finished second in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The 17-year-old, who has committed to USC, had a one-shot lead in the boys’ 16-18 division going into Sunday’s final round. But Emiliano Grillo of Argentina set a tournament record by going 16 under for the tournament to claim the title. Grillo, 15, beat the previous record by one stroke, finishing, 66-70-69-67—272.

Hagestad settled for second place with 11 under and a final score of 65-71-68-73—277.

“I played with him the last three days. He’s fearless,” Hagestad said of Grillo. “He hit this one drive on a string. He just always gives himself a chance to birdie every hole. During the three days I played with him, he had three bogeys. If you do that you are doing pretty well. What are you going to do? The kid went out there and did what he had to do. I’m not angry.

“Last year I was two over and finished second. This year I was 11 under and I lost. It was a fun tournament.”

With his finish in Florida, Hagestad has put together what some would consider an impressive run this summer. He finished tied for fifth in the Junior World Golf Championships and also qualified second for the U.S. Amateur Championship at Big Canyon Country Club.

“I think it’s been all right,” Hagestad said of his summer. “There are a lot of tournaments left. It’s all a learning experience. It’s a journey. It’s still a long summer. I still have a lot to learn.”

Hagestad said he is contemplating whether to play next week’s Ping Phoenix Junior, an American Junior Golf Assn. tournament, but knows for sure he will play in the U.S. Amateur Championship, Aug. 18-24 at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. He might skip the Ping Junior to better prepare himself for the U.S. Amateur.

He wants to make sure he is ready for the big tournament.

“The U.S. Am is going to be awesome,” Hagestad said. “The competition I’m playing with, the field, the course, the atmosphere is going to be out of this world. I’m looking forward to it. All I can do is prepare for it. I want to prove that I’m one of the best amateurs in the country.”

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.