In the sport of golf, some believe the ultimate advantage is to start at a young age. Developing the precise skills it takes to be successful early on has allowed many young players to push through to the professional ranks. Now how young is young? Take a look at 15-year-old Alexis Thompson who will turn pro in June.
Many see these early jumps to the pros as disasters in the making, but many players claim that it’s completely situational and a personal choice. Morgan Pressel, who selected the Tour over college, backs up her decision. “It was the right decision for me. But everybody’s different. And I played in, you know, plenty of LPGA events beforehand, some sponsors exemptions, won the Women’s Am, and I felt that I was ready and that writing essays on English literature wasn’t going to help me in my career.”
On the other side, there are those players who opt for developing their game in the college circuit and stay the four years of what many say are the best years of their life. Rookie Tour player, Amanda Blumenherst, supports the idea of staying in school. “I can show girls the benefit of going to school, that it isn’t a waste of time or that it isn’t — you know, you aren’t losing money because you’re going to college, it’s an amazing experience and something that everyone I believe should do.” She graduated from Duke in 2009 with a degree in history and was a four-time USGA National Player of the Year.
Blumenherst cherishes the fact that she held onto her childhood and couldn’t imagine turning pro at 15. “I just couldn’t imagine; I could not imagine turning pro at 15… You know, that’s also a lot of your childhood that you’re missing. She’s going to be missing prom probably and missing going to college.”
Michelle Wie, arguably the most notable young player on the Tour, turned pro a week shy of her 16th birthday in 2005. Ineligible to play at the college level, Wie appreciates the value of her education. “Getting my college degree is important as my golf. I always put education the same as my sport. Education is something that you should never give up just because you’re doing something else. Getting a college degree is extremely important and I value that highly. So walking down the isle getting my diploma is going to be amazing.”
Wie attends Stanford University which runs on quarters and allows her to stay for two quarters out of the year from September to mid March. She realizes the advantage of attending school while playing professionally. “I also get to be my normal 20-year-old self and I do things that add balance to my life. It does create a lot more of a workload at times but it’s worth it and it adds so much more to my life.”
No matter how you look at it, the decision is a tough one. Whether they’re hitting the books or the links full time, fans can be pleased that the Tour has some very intelligent and promising young players ready to take over.