I've posted here before about this so excuse another post. My son played golf off and on as a kid. Never seriously but played some recreational junior tournaments. Didn't play high school. Quit playing completely in 2018. In May 2020 he started back playing and actually got good. Got into 4 or 5 qualifiers for the Texas Junior Amateur this year. 2 qualified out of 80 or so. Finished 3rd twice.
Lamented not playing and not having a chance to play in college. I emailed over 300 small college and JUCO coaches. 4 responded. We got invited to 2 visits. Both offered. One in Podunk, Oklahoma and one in Phoenix. He chose the school in Arizona obviously.
I've been in Arizona for 2 weeks for their qualifying and first tournament. His team has a Swede that played on the Ping European Junior Team and has been number 1 for every tournament the last 2 years. He's good. After 2 qualifiers my kid beat him by 1 shot and played as number 1 for the first tournament. That probably wasn't optimum.
He walked on the first tee and was paired with the other number 1's. He's 18, 6' 1", 148#. The others were 21, 22 years old and 2 had played the US Amateur this year. He was overwhelmed. Struggled the first round and was paired with them the second round too. He hit 4 fairways and 7 greens. Gutted out 73. I have no idea how. He was 50 yards behind them on every hole and always in the rough.
Anyway I got to see his first college birdie and see him living that college boy in Arizona life. Good stuff. Heading home tomorrow.
Lamented not playing and not having a chance to play in college. I emailed over 300 small college and JUCO coaches. 4 responded. We got invited to 2 visits. Both offered. One in Podunk, Oklahoma and one in Phoenix. He chose the school in Arizona obviously.
I've been in Arizona for 2 weeks for their qualifying and first tournament. His team has a Swede that played on the Ping European Junior Team and has been number 1 for every tournament the last 2 years. He's good. After 2 qualifiers my kid beat him by 1 shot and played as number 1 for the first tournament. That probably wasn't optimum.
He walked on the first tee and was paired with the other number 1's. He's 18, 6' 1", 148#. The others were 21, 22 years old and 2 had played the US Amateur this year. He was overwhelmed. Struggled the first round and was paired with them the second round too. He hit 4 fairways and 7 greens. Gutted out 73. I have no idea how. He was 50 yards behind them on every hole and always in the rough.
Anyway I got to see his first college birdie and see him living that college boy in Arizona life. Good stuff. Heading home tomorrow.