Big attention for rookie Champ begins with small favor

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Cameron Champ was a freshman in high school and a graduate of The First Tee program, missing only the means to travel the country to play junior golf tournaments with hopes of getting noticed outside Northern California.

One phone call made a difference as big as some of his drives.

His father called John Wood, an old friend from high school in Sacramento who at the time was caddying for Hunter Mahan.

"He said his son was into golf and would I come out and spend a day with him," Wood said Wednesday morning from the Australian Open, where he now works for Matt Kuchar. "You get those calls and figure you'll go watch a guy shoot 80. But I literally watched Cam hit three shots and thought: 'Hang on.