Player Profile: Charlie Beljan

On Sunday, Charlie Beljan won the Children's Miracle Network Classic to card his first-ever victory on the PGA Tour. This week's player profile introduces fans to this talented American as he celebrates his first title win in his rookie year.

28-year-old Beljan was born in 1984 in Mesa, Arizona. After taking up golf in earnest during his high school years, Beljan won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2002 at the age of 18. Following this early victory, Beljan enjoyed a successful collegiate golf career while studying at the University of New Mexico. The young Beljan won three events during his college years and was named an All-American in 2007. Following these accolades, Beljan turned professional at the end of the 2007 season.

From 2008 till 2011, Beljan played on the Gateway Tour, a second-tier professional tour in the United States. Weathering the challenges of professional golf with apparent ease, the young golfer won a total of seven times on the Gateway Tour, topping the money list in 2009. Beljan qualified for the U.S. Open in both 2008 and 2010, but missed the cut on both occasions.

In 2011, Beljan entered the US PGA Tour's Qualifying School (commonly known as Q School) where he finished in 13th place to win an exemption for the 2012 season. In his first year on the US PGA Tour, one of the world's premier golf circuits, Beljan impressed fellow players and fans alike with his ability to play under pressure and his determination to win – both of these attributes were made obvious during last week's Children's Miracle Classic.

After falling ill during the second round, and despite warnings that he should abandon the tournament altogether, Beljan returned and triumphed during Sunday's final round. Having won his maiden title during the final tournament of the season, Beljan has proved himself a serious contender for the 2013 season.