<
>

18 Under 18: Beau Hossler

Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) junior Beau Hossler qualified for the U.S. Open before he turned 17. Evan Vucci/AP

ESPNHS honors 18 male teen athletes who are doing remarkable things on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. Click here to read about them.

How did you celebrate getting your driver's license? A nice dinner with your parents? A drive around town?

Beau Hossler marked the occasion by qualifying for the U.S. Open. The Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) junior earned a trip to the prestigious tournament by shooting a 4-under 138 in two days at the Oakmont Country Club in Arizona.

Two weeks later, he was at Congressional Country Club in Maryland with the best players in the world. Hossler didn't make the cut once he got there (shooting 76-77 in his two days), but it was still a dream come true for the young golfer. He had a chance to meet his idol, Phil Mickelson, and was treated like a star. There were courtesy cars from Lexus -- good thing he passed that driver's test -- and profiles in The New York Times and Washington Post.

These days, there's a new wave of young golfers like Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Jason Day ready to take over for older stars like Tiger and Phil. And while the 17-year-old Hossler's not on that level yet, he has served notice that another young golf star is on the horizon.