Passion. That’s the word that captures how I’ve always felt about golf. From the moment I picked up a club, the game consumed me. Growing up, I dreamed of playing on the PGA Tour, inspired by legends like Tom Watson and Seve Ballesteros. My passion ran so deep that I’d fake being sick just to stay home from school and watch the Open Championship on TV.

Tom Watson wasn’t just my favorite player—he was my idol. His class, calm demeanor, and methodical approach to the game were magnetic. I wanted to be like him, to swing like him. As a teenager, I convinced my dad to take photos of my swing so I could compare them to Watson’s. I’d pore over golf magazines, studying swing sequences of his, and even dragged one to the range, begging the local pro to help me replicate his positions. It was my first attempt at reverse-engineering greatness—a shortcut to mastery.

Decades later, during a book signing for The Single Plane Golf Swing, I was reminded of my early days chasing perfection. My high school golf coach, Luther Hunter, showed up with a surprise: a folder filled with notes, pictures, and detailed records from every round I played in high school. Coach had kept track of every shot I’d ever hit. As we flipped through those pages, the memories came flooding back. He smiled and said, “Todd, you were always remarkable on the course. Full of surprises, hardworking, and so full of excitement for the game.”

But despite my love for the game, one poor performance at the state high school tournament derailed my hopes of playing college golf. With no major offers, my dreams of playing at a big-time program seemed out of reach. So, I followed my brother to Oklahoma State University and joined Delta Chi, a fraternity known for recruiting former high school athletes.

It didn’t take long for golf to find its way back into my life. Delta Chi’s athletic reputation meant competing in intramural sports was a big deal, and I entered the intramural golf tournament on a whim. To my surprise, I won by four shots. That spark of competition reignited my passion. I felt the fire again—the love for the game, the thrill of competing. So, I made an audacious decision: I was going to try out for Oklahoma State’s varsity golf team.

Now, OSU wasn’t just any college golf program—it was the college golf program. Names like Scott Verplank, Bob Tway, Rickie Fowler, and countless others graced its storied history. Their roster was packed with talent. There wasn’t even a formal walk-on program, which meant there was no real pathway for someone like me to make the team. Still, I couldn’t shake the dream. I started entering tournaments again, grinding and honing my game in hopes of a shot.

During the summer, I worked at The Trails Golf Club in Norman, Oklahoma. One quiet afternoon, two players from the University of Oklahoma’s golf team, Todd Hamilton and David Sheffield, showed up to play nine holes. I asked my boss if I could join them, and he gave me the green light. Nervous but excited, I stepped onto the first tee with two collegiate players.

Something clicked that day. Shot after shot, I played the kind of golf I’d always dreamed about. By the end of the nine, I’d beaten both of them. Todd, clearly impressed, asked me why I was working in the bag room instead of playing college golf. I told him about my struggles to make the OSU team. That’s when he said something that would change everything: “I know Jim Begwin, OSU’s assistant coach. I’ll talk to him and have him give you a call.”

The very next day, my phone rang. It was Coach Begwin. He invited me to try out for the team in the upcoming walk-on tournament.

That call was the lifeline I needed—the moment when the impossible suddenly felt possible. And as I stood there holding the phone, I realized that this wasn’t just a call from a coach. It was an invitation to chase my dream, one shot at a time.

The walk-on tournament was touch and go. On the last hole I faced a 10-footer to win the tournament. I noticed Coach Begwin watching anxiously. I holed the putt to win the tournament and greeted him as I walked off of the green. As I walked toward the pro-shop, he put his arm around me and said, “Thank God you holed that putt”. “Why?” I asked. “Because we held this tournament just for you. We have never had a walk on tournament. You are the first person to ever walk-on the OU Team. Congratulations”.

(My Journey to Moe Norman…part 2, in next blog)