Most junior golfers go to bed every night dreaming of the chance to play competitively in college.
Can you blame them?
Tournaments jam-packed into the fall and spring seasons, with travel to warm and exotic locations. Great courses and facilities. It’s an unrivaled way to hone your game. What’s not to love?
But some outstanding golfers opted to skip college. Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda turned pro at 15. Megan Khang (Brockton, Mass.) did at 18 in 2015 and has been a money-making machine on the LPGA Tour since. Rory McIlroy committed to East Tennessee State in 2004 at the age of 15, but never actually made it on campus.
So while skipping college does have precedent, it’s still not a route for the faint of heart.
Enter 18-year-old Alexa Pano, who was born in Westborough, Mass. She’s the latest and best-chronicled example of a player with the guts and requisite golf game to contemplate going straight into the pro ranks.