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Before Their Professional Golf Careers Took Off

Ever catch yourself daydreaming about what itState University where he studied psychology.
would be like to walk the links with your ownTom Lehman who got his degree in business
personal caddy at a PGA golf tournamentand accounting. Fred Couples went to the
instead of watching all the action unfold onUniversity  of  Houston.
TV? Wondering if the right training and
mentoring could someday help you channel yourTaking a look back at some other players also
talent and passion for the sport into yourproves that golf was not always the sport
own  professional  golf  career?these legendary names started out playing,
but rather, the one they stuck with in the
While it might seem like a far fetched idealong run. For example, Davis Love III, a big
that would hardly turn into a reality, justname on the course today, had a real
remember all of the great golf legends. Takeaffection for ice hockey in his younger
for example some of the true icons of theyears. Fellow teammate Lee Janzen took up
game like Lee Trevino, Phil Mickelson, andbaseball as a kid and spent his summers
Tiger Woods. These individuals learned theparticipating on Little League teams. He also
sport inside and out and have realized suchpursued tennis for a while before realizing
huge success and amazing accomplishmentsgolf  was the sport he liked and played best.
throughout  their  professional golf careers.
Other sports enthusiasts include Ernie Els
It might be difficult to imagine these starswho took his hand at rugby, cricket and
focusing on anything other than golf sincetennis before turning pro in 1989 and
incredible drives, chip shots, and putts seemstarting his professional golf career. Like
to go hand in hand with the mere mention ofEls, Vijay Singh also played cricket and
their names. But here's a rare look behindrugby when he was younger and dabbled in
the scenes at where some of golf's greatestsoccer before settling on golf and turning
players got their starts and where the gamepro  in  1982.
took  them.
With golf as their main focus, many pros
Perhaps with one of the most interestingcan't seem to get enough of the sport and
stories, is Lee Trevino's. One of golf'shave kept with it in other ways. Fred Couples
first and finest players grew up with littlehas done work involving golf academies,
money and began working at an early age toequipment companies and clothing lines. Tom
help his family make ends meet. He startedWeiskopf has helped design several courses
working in cotton fields and found his loveacross the nation and spent time as a golf
for golf shortly after as he began caddyinganalyst  on  TV.
at a local course. Before making a
professional golf career for himself, TrevinoSo as you can see, not every professional
also served four years with the U.S. Marines.golfer started out on the greens. Many
pursued other educations, sports and hobbies
Starting out on the college track, crowdand some even had to take it upon themselves
favorite Tiger Woods first attended Stanfordto create their own opportunities. It just
University. He left school after a few yearsgoes to show that with the right training,
to focus on golf and turned pro in 1996 atfocus and determination, a professional golf
the age of 21. Other college bound proscareer can be achieved if you're up for the
include Phil Mickelson who attended Arizonachallenge.



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