Athlete Spotlight: James Wood golfer Jackson Lynch

By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI | The Winchester Star

James Wood High School 15-year-old sophomore

Sport: Golf.

Parents: Christine and James Lynch. Hometown: Babylon, N.Y, (moved to Winchester at age 2)

What do you love about golf: The way you can just be able to go out and play and not have to worry about anything in the real world, like school or anything that‘s happening in your house. You can just have fun with it. It’s kind of an escape for me.

Most memorable moment in golf: I was playing [July 27] at Rock Harbor, The Boulder 16 [which is a par-5, 566-yard hole). I hit my driver in the middle of the fairway, then I hit my 3-wood from 260 out. It hit just short of the green and rolled to about three or four inches away. Then I tapped in for my first-ever eagle. It’s an island green, so I thought it was going to go right in the water. I didn’t think I hit it well at all.

Most embarrassing moment in golf: Last year when I first started playing — I had only been playing for two or three weeks — I went to Shenandoah Valley [Golf Club] three, four hours before practice. I was set up to play with somebody who I didn’t know. [A club employee] told me to tee it up, and I topped it. Then he said, ’Hit another one,’ and I topped it again. I just told him I was going to the range to practice. I just wound up practicing at the putting green, waiting for [James Wood] practice to start.

Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: Jimi Hendrix; he was an amazing songwriter, song player, amazing all-around person. He was the best guitarist to ever live. John F. Kennedy; in my opinion, he’s the best president. He just seemed like a good person who influenced a lot of history. And Steve Jobs; he’s an amazing entrepreneur. Everyone uses the iPhone. His life was incredible.

If you could use a time machine, where/ when would you go: To when Christianity was starting. The birth of Jesus, all that stuff. I’d just like to see what happened, and how they acted.

If you could go on a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go: Hawaii. I think it’s a place where you can go and forget about everything. I’ve seen pictures of it, articles, my friends have been there. It looks gorgeous.

Favorite teacher: Dale Root, my art teacher in seventh grade. He was a really nice guy, and I’d known him since I was a kid. He taught me a lot about art and thinking outside the box.

Favorite athlete: Muhammad Ali

Favorite team: New York Yankees

Favorite movie: “Pulp Fiction”

Favorite TV show: “Seinfeld”

Favorite song: “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix

Favorite food: Chicken parmigiana

Plans after high school: I’d like to play college and maybe even try and go pro. But if not I’ll probably enlist in the military, or go to college and be a business major and become a stockbroker.

— Compiled by Robert Niedzwiecki