by Lee Cornell
Daily Lobo
UNM golfer Jay Choi is anything but your typical freshman.
According to UNM sports information, last week he became the first college freshman to win a men's golf tournament at the Club Glove Intercollegiate at Pepperdine University.
Choi has taken a unique path on the road to his college golf career.
As a young boy growing up in Korea, Choi tried playing every sport that you can imagine. But as quickly as he started, it was always just a matter of time before he lost interest. No sport could capture Choi's attention that is until his grandfather urged him to try his luck at golf.
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The first time that he swung a club was when he went to the driving range with his mom in fifth grade. Choi and his mom took a lesson that day, but becoming the best was not his only motivation.
"Morning exercises is why I started it," Choi said. "To lose weight. I figured if you twist a lot, then you would lose weight. But it didn't work."
After that, Choi fell in love with the sport and started taking more private lessons. Soon, he was playing all the time and unlike other sports, he was kept busy with the game that calls for so many different shots and techniques.
"It's really fun because there are unlimited things to learn in golf," Choi said. "Once you achieve one goal there is another goal to break. There are so many goals to keep breaking and that is something I like - to keep trying and trying."
One day, Choi asked his mom about moving to the United States to improve his golf game. His parents, who traveled back and forth between Korea and the United States frequently, decided that it was the right thing to do. In seventh grade, the Chois moved to Cerritos, Calif., a decision that would change young Choi's life immediately.
With a move to the west, Choi had to adapt to many cultural and social changes. The first and foremost adjustment was the language barrier. Choi was forced to learn a new language and that was no easy task. One thing that always helped him get through the changes was the stability of golf. Golf offered Choi a way to make friends and meet new people.
"I would get to meet different people everyday through golf," Choi said. "You get to meet so many different kinds of people, it kind of helped."
One of the first things that Choi realized when he arrived in California was that he was behind the other golfers in his community. Not being as good as his friends was something that Choi disliked.
"Some of my friends started ignoring me because I wasn't good enough to play with them," Choi said. "That kind of upset me a little bit and I started grinding and said 'I'm going to be better than you pretty soon.'"
After that, Choi dedicated himself to golf. He assumed a rigorous routine that included hitting golf balls at the driving range before school and eating breakfast in the car while his mom drove.
His mom would then pick him up from school and he would eat lunch on the way back to the driving range. Once he got there, a tutor would come and tutor him at the course. After that he would eat dinner at the course and then play until the lights were turned off, go home, take a shower, go to bed and then start it all over the next day.
Eventually, the schedule burned Choi out and he decided to cut back and enjoy the game.
"I think it helped me a lot because most of my friends that kept up that schedule got burned out on golf and ended up quitting after their senior year," Choi said.
Growing up in California, Choi always had dreams of playing at the University of Southern California but as he looked more into improving his game to the next level he started exploring his options. It was at around that time that he got a brochure in the mail from the UNM golf team. He was impressed with the excellent facilities offered at UNM.
Soon, Head coach Glen Millican paid a visit to California to meet Choi and his family. The two hit it off immediately and within two weeks of being eligible to commit to the Lobos, Choi had made his decision to come to UNM.
Now Choi and Millican share a bond that extends beyond the golf course.
"I think he's the best coach out there right now," Choi said. "He's a coach, but he's also a friend. If I have trouble at school or something I can talk to him."
Choi is helping put the Lobos in national title contention. UNM has been impressive so far this year with a season-high ranking of third in the Golf Week poll. They have also been ranked 16th in Golf World Magazine.
