Entering the 2012 season, it was only a matter of time for John Bearrie.

After years of oh-so-close finishes and a spattering of victories, the amateur golf community in the great state of Texas knew that Bearrie's spot at the top wasn't an 'if' but a 'when'.

Well, that time was this season as Bearrie took home the Texas Golf Association's Player of the Year Award with five separate victories, which helped him move all the way up to No. 11 in the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Texas Player Rankings. A host of NCAA stars and freshly-turned professionals stand between Bearrie and the top spot.

In 2012, Bearrie won the Texas Mid-Amateur Championship --- a win he calls the biggest of his amateur career --- and the Fort Worth Mid-Am. He also took home top honors in three TGA Medalist Series Events.

Following the announcement of Bearrie's Player of the Year Award, amateurgolf.com caught up with the rising amateur:

amateurgolf.com: For starters, what's your background in golf?

John Bearrie: My dad taught me the game when I was nine years old and ended up going to school at small university in Texas (Hardin Simmons University in Abilene). I played my entire college career and never won a golf tournament.

AGC: When did you see your game really take a jump to the next level?

JB: Well, I got married in 1995 and quickly decided to stop playing. But I realized after a year or two of marriage that I needed golf, so I got back at it. I've always been a late bloomer. Around the age of 30 was when I really started to get serious and getting back into the game. That's when I started playing the TGA events.

AGC: Of all the victories this year, along with your 2010 Texas Mid-Am Match Play title, what is your proudest moment on the course?

JB: Winning the state Mid-Am this year with my Dad caddying for me and helping me get around was my proudest moment. In the past, if you looked at my results, you'd see that I'm the guy that finishes in the Top 10 a lot and struggled getting it to the next level. This year, it was the biggest win for me --- the breakthrough of sorts. I've always had a pretty good swing but getting over the hump of winning had always been a problem.

AGC: What changes in your game or preparations and practice routines helped you make such big strides?

JB: For me personally, it's all about getting the ball in the hole. I actually put my putting stroke in the hands of Pat O'Brien --- an absolute genius with the putting stroke. He's helped a log of guys on tour and he's really helped me. In 2010, I won the state match play and that was a big hurdle for me and it was no doubt attributed to better putting.

AGC: Finally, what are the must- play events on your seasonal calendar?

JB: The Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship is an event I've really liked playing in. The venues are great and the weather in the summer is terrific. There's been a number of us from Texas that have gone to play in it. I always try to never miss the Texas State Amateur and at the end of the year, we have a Ryder Cup-style event called the 'Shootout'. The top players from the North and South (of Texas) face off.

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