By Ed Piper
Jacqueline is the inspiration, and Tiger Woods was the model.
Jacqueline, Justin Wood's grandmother, bought Justin his first pair of clubs. He was five. "They were durable," he says in that direct-eye-contact, calm but self-assured way. "I was just swinging. I didn't know anything. And the clubs still lasted."
His grandmother got him into golf. "She has been my support through all the years I've played golf."
Justin, 16, is now a junior at La Jolla High. He has been playing at a high level in Coach Christie Quinn's team's first matches this spring. He consistently shoots among the Vikings' leaders. It has been a good start for Woods, after a solid sophomore year.
Justin watched Tiger Woods (no relation) "a lot". "I had a lot of DVD's about how he got here," says the prep golfer. "I wanted to be like him--and be better."
Just as Tiger Woods is known for his single-minded focus on the course--his father Earl threw objects and raised a ruckus, anything to try to distract his young son during matches--Justin takes that model and tries to make it his own.
In a recent match, La Jolla went against highly-ranked Torrey Pines in a pre-league dual at Fairbanks Ranch. Justin shot a 40 (over nine holes), which is good, despite the laurels the Falcons' top players carry.
"I don't think about the accolades" of competitors, he says. "To me, Torrey Pines is just competition. There's no added pressure."
Better said than done, but Justin's scores in tougher matches are in alignment with his overall scores.
"There's no fear that I would put into myself because they have more in their resume. It's me and the course, against everyone else."
Justin is really growing up. Now in the 11th grade, he sees himself as one of the Vikings' team leaders. At another recent match against La Costa Canyon's "B" team at Balboa, he gave direction and feedback to his teammates. He showed good people skills in interacting with a writer/photographer, as well as with others in the match.
He displayed a remarkably calm presence right before the first tee. "I don't do it between shots," he clarified when asked about his friendliness. But he doesn't disappear into a trance, either, when he's in competition.
Back when Justin was younger, he was admiring his grandfather Cecil's golf trophies. He asked Grandpa, "How do you get those?" His grandfather said, "You have to play and win."
Bingo. That led to Grandma Jacqueline buying the clubs, and the rest is history.
No comments:
Post a Comment