ROANOKE, Va. – He's walked the greens at at the Scott Robertson Tournament for nearly his entire life.
"I remember as a little kid, mom used to let us get out of school to come help clean up and take care of some stuff after the tournament," said junior golfer John Hatcher Ferguson.
Ferguson had a knack for golf at a young age, thanks in large part to his mom Debbie. She has served as the tournament administrator for nearly two decades and has aided her son on his drive for success.Â
"The thought in the back of my head, you know, 'Could he be one of the kids that can play in the Scott Robertson one year?' and then his game really improved over the years and he dedicated a lot of time to it and he's worked really hard," said Debbie Ferguson.
"I had a couple tournaments that really stood out to me and made me realize this is something that could really happen," John Hatcher said.
Just last month John Hatcher committed to play collegiate golf at Hampden-Sydney College. But his passion goes beyond the greens. He started a charity "Birdies to Cure Alzheimer's" in honor of his late grandmother.
"Basically we take pledges for every birdie I make in a competitive round and that goes towards a cure for Alzheimer's and over the past two years we've raised $17,000 for the cause," said John-Hatcher.
His mom Debbie added, "It means so much to me that people have donated and supported him because maybe it's not the cause they're supporting but, they're supporting John Hatcher. That means a lot to them that they want to help him out."
As John Hatcher plays in his final Scott Robertson tournament, he hopes to finish with a favorable score. But in the eyes of his family and the foundation he supports, he's already a winner.