Lovemark turns pro, will make debut in Canada

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Jamie Lovemark, the former top-ranked amateur in the world, will forego his senior season at the University of Southern California and has turned professional. He will make his pro debut this week at the RBC Canadian Open.

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Jamie Lovemark's first pro start will be at the RBC Canadian Open.

The 21-year-old Lovemark, from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., enjoyed a stellar freshman season at USC in 2007, winning four times, including the PAC-10 and NCAA titles, on his way to taking the Jack Nicklaus Award (collegiate player of the year), Haskins Award (outstanding collegiate golfer), and Phil Mickelson Award (freshman of the year). The two-time First Team All-American (2007, 2008) also posted a 3-0 record to help the U.S. win the Walker Cup later that same year.

"Playing professionally has been a dream for me for many years, and I'm excited that this dream is coming true," said Lovemark, who won the 2005 Western Amateur at age 17 to become the youngest champion in tournament history. "I've been able to play in a number of professional tournaments already, so I know it is a big challenge, but I'm looking forward to pushing myself and working to become a better player.

"I'm also excited about making my professional debut at the RBC Canadian Open, a tournament that I know has a great history, and I'd like to thank them for having me here this week."

During the past three years, Lovemark has played in eight PGA TOUR events, making the cut five times, including a T-39 at the 2007 Buick Invitational and a T-45 at the AT&T National the same year. In his three starts on the Nationwide Tour, Lovemark lost in a playoff and finished 2nd.

"Jamie is an exciting, young player who represents the next generation of stars in professional golf," said Clarke Jones, Senior Vice President and Global Director, Golf Clients for IMG, which will represent Lovemark. "With his impressive track record in his starts on the PGA and Nationwide Tours, he has proven that he can make an immediate impact as a professional, and combined with his tremendous marketability, we expect that he will become a household name within the game very quickly."

In addition to the Canadian Open, Lovemark also plans to play in next week's Buick Open.