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Mark Wittchow, who will be a senior at OnalaskaHigh School this fall, will compete in this year's Optimist International Junior Golf Championships Thursday through Aug. 3 at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Wittchow will compete in the boys 16-18 age division. The tournament's six age divisions featured 625 players from 40 states, six Canadian provinces and more than 30 nations. Previous Optimist players include John Daly, Ernie Els, Justin Leonard, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Nick Price, David Toms and Tiger Woods.

“I just hope to do well,” Wittchow said. “Every part of my game is pretty solid right now. I'm looking forward to the tournament.”

Wittchow qualified for the event off his finish at the an event at the Riverside Country Club in Janesville earlier this summer. Wittchow will play two different courses, a championshp course and the Palmer Course, over the tournament's first three days, before a cut to the final day of play.

Wittchow was the Mississippi Valley Conference Player of the Year last spring. He was a member of Onalaska's 2006 state team.

“I'm still looking at colleges; I haven't talked to anybody yet,” Wittchow said. “But I'd definitely like to play in college.”