Whiz Kid: Statewide Honor Caps Strong Year for Seaholm Golfer

Each week, Patch spotlights young people in the Birmingham community who are successful, talented and just plain awesome. Today we introduce the latest Whiz Kid:

Francesco Ruffino

• Age: 16
• School:
• Achievement: This attention-earning golfer — whose 18-hole average was 71.5 this past season — recently was designated "Mr. Golf" for 2011, the top boys' award from the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association. Ruffino is the first student to win as a sophomore, the grade he just completed, and Seaholm's first winner in the award's 25 years. 
• Key to Awesomeness: Ruffino is nationally ranked on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) circuit. At his latest event in Sunriver, OR, he finished in a three-way tie for 32nd place in the invitational Rolex Tournament of Champions for teens. That's where he was when Seaholm coach Leon Braisted III called with news of the statewide honor.
  
  "He’s awesome. He’s got a bright future," the high school coach said June 9 after the teen shot a 3-under par 69 at Lyon Oaks Golf Course in Wixom to earn Division 1 regional medalist honors and qualify for the state finals for a second year. At the season-ending tournament June 18, he finished third with a 2-under-par 70. In 2010, Ruffino was second at the Division 1 finals, four shots behind the leader.
  
  Seaholm's rising star has a busy summer of golf. Up next is a three-round AJGA tournament July 25-28 in Kansas City, featuring 96 players. Following that come an Aug. 1 local qualifier at Oakland Hills Country Club's North Course for a U.S. Golf Association amateur tournament. "I have a big summer coming up with a lot of big events," Ruffino told Patch sports writer last month. "And I’ll use this as something to get my game where it needs to be."

Do you know a local young person who deserves applause for volunteer work this summer? Or perhaps athletic achievements are worth sharing. Everyone deserves attention, and we want to tell these stories.

Email nominations to Editor Laura Houser at laura.houser@patch.com, provide the information shown above and include a photo with names and ages. Then, come back each Tuesday for our Whiz Kid spotlight; you never know who's up next.