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WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | JANUARY 26, 2022
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WV visit inspires teen golfer from Georgia BY NOAH VELASCO
West Valley View Staff Writer
G
etting praise at every golf course, interviewing with pga. com, having namesake merchandise, and giving kids golf lessons can be a lot for anyone. For 15-yearold Jeremiah Austin, it’s just another part of his golf career. From Brunswick, Georgia, Austin grew up in an athletic family. His uncles were successful collegiate football players and wrestlers, and the rest of the family — including his uncle, Jermaine Austin, a football coach at Millennium — waited to see what Austin would become. They were startled to see him turn to golf. Austin himself never envisioned play-
ing golf, but his grandfather, Richard Austin, did. Richard noticed a young Austin hitting pinecones with a stick and decided to take him to golf practice. “I was surprised at myself because I was able to hit the ball perfectly fine and I hadn’t had a single practice in my life, but I was able to hit the ball,” Austin said. “As I started playing more and more, it started to become something I wanted to do and a sport that I wanted to play.” From there, Austin devoted himself to golf and steadily improved during the last four years. With his grandfather by his side to drive him across the country, help maintain a healthy diet, and give motivational pep talks, Austin was bound for success.
Recently, Austin traveled to Avondale to play rounds at The Wigwam and Palm Valley Golf Course. “During my rounds at The Wigwam, the Patriot golf tournament was in progress, which allowed me to visualize myself in this prestigious amateur/ college championship in the near future,” he said. “I was actually hoping they would have made a mistake and added me to the field. As a result of being there at that time, I play as if I was in the tournament and shot my best score. I will be among the best college golfers in the country soon, so it was nice to get of feel of what to expect.” As a result, Austin is considering ASU. The sport not only affected Aus-
tin, but it improved his grandfather’s well-being. “It actually changed my life, because for years I had five sons,” Richard said. “For over 20 years, all I did was travel and travel and travel to wrestling matches and football games. Then, all of a sudden, there was a void when it was over with, and the next thing I knew I was dealing with work. “But once (Austin) started playing golf, that kind of gave me that little extra burst of energy.” As an eighth grader, Austin made the Brunswick High School varsity team but only participated in weekly tournaments to avoid losing eligibili-
Golfer...continued on page 23
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