Here is my story for The News Tribune's Sunday section. Peck is the third Washington golfer to win this championship:

The field was packed of accomplished teenage golfers, but before the start of this week's U.S. Junior Amateur, defending champion Cory Whitsett had his sights set on one main rival.

It was Olympia's Cameron Peck.

By the start of the 36-hole championship match Saturday, Whitsett was nowhere to be found – he had been eliminated in the first round.

That Peck fella? Well, he was on his way to capturing the 61st U.S. Junior Amateur at Shoal Creek Golf Club in Alabama.

The to-be Timberline High senior not only defeated Virginia's Cameron Beck, he overwhelmed his opponent, and posted the largest margin of victory in the championship's history – a 10-and-8 win.

"This is a tournament," an exhausted Peck said afterward, "that might change my life."

Peck became the third Washington golfer to win one of the United States Golf Association's national championships. Spokane's Larry Lee, a public-course golfer, captured the 1959 Junior Am title at the Stanford University golf course, and Seattle's Bill Tindall followed that up with a victory a year later in Overland Park, Kan.

Puyallup's Ryan Moore got to the 2000 Junior Am finals on the Ghost Course at Pumpkin Ridge near Portland, but lost 3-and-2 to Matthew Rosenfeld.

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This week: Children's Hospital Invitational, today through Sunday, The Ohio STate University Scarlet Course, Columbus, Ohio.

Third-round score: Even-par 71.

Position: Putnam (1-under 212) is tied for 15th, six strokes behind leader Bill Lunde (206).

Recap: Tee to green, the Tacoma native is having a fantastic showing – he is ranked fourth in driving accuracy (76.2 percent) and tied for eighth in greens hit in regulation (72.2 percent). The reason he is keeping his position at 1-under is putts – he had 32 on Saturday. Putnam did make back-to-back birdies at Nos. 15 and 16 to offset earlier bogeys. He is one of 28 golfers under-par for the tournament.

Tee time Sunday: 7:45 a.m. PDT with Tommy Tolles.

Here is an early story from the USGA:

Olympia's Cameron Peck became the 61st U.S. Junior Amateur champion, in record-setting fashion, when he trumped Evan Beck, 17, of Virginia Beach, Va., 10-and-8 on Saturday as the largest margin of victory ever.

Five others in the past have won 9 and 8.

"That makes it even better," Peck said. "To win the U.S. Junior Amateur, I also set a record. That's pretty cool."

The match ended on the 28th hole. Beck was unsuccessful in coverting an up and down before taking his hat off to congratulate Peck. After two weather delays, most of the match was played in a steady downpour.

It didn't bother Peck.

"I don't think it has sunk in quite yet," said Peck of the victory. "I think I'm still in shock."