John was born in Toledo, Ohio but grew up in Southern California. As a junior, he was coached by Ken Venturi. His Ohio roots drew him back to Ohio State for college, where he followed in the large footsteps of another blond phenom, Jack Nicklaus. John compiled a pretty impressive resume of his own before turning professional. Highlights include: -Won the US Am in ’78 at age 20, and nearly won it again in 1979, falling to Mark O’Meara in the finals (turned pro right after) -Member of the Ohio State ’79 NCAA Championship team
-Won the 1978 & 1979 Northeast Amateur
-Won the Sunnehanna Amateur in ’77 & ’79
-Won the 1978 & 1979 Ohio State Amateur
-Won California State Amateur in ’75
-Won 1979 Porter Cup
