When Jake Hibbert went to look around Florida Atlantic University, his dad, Steve, turned to him and said, “If these guys want you, you want to be saying yes!” The size of the college football stadium gave him an idea of what being a student athlete at FAU might be like. Then there was the course being built for the golf team and a new $60m gym. After mulling it over, the 19-year-old signed for the ‘Owls’. Golf scholarship secured, he was off to America to pursue his dream of becoming a professional.
The last ten years have flown by. It doesn’t seem that long since he was hitting balls into the Irish Sea, enjoying stays with his grandparents in their caravan in Blackpool. He joined Warrington when he was ten and won the Club Championship four years later. His aim is to play on the PGA Tour by the time he’s 25, and the way to achieve that, he’s decided, is through the college system in America.
Golf scholarships aren’t handed out like confetti. A promising golf game is one of the prerequisites, yes, but you can’t get into college without the necessary academic grades – which in Jake’s case were GCSEs. Even then, competition for spaces is fierce and you need to display certain characteristics. Jake ticked all the boxes and started discussing his options with College Sports America after playing in the Henry Cooper (an international junior golf tournament), which turned out to be a significant moment.
Exceptional talent
This story is from the April 2021 edition of Golf Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2021 edition of Golf Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Sublime Scheffler unbeatable at Augusta National
It’s hard to put into words how special this is. It was a long week, a grind of a week.
Skechers Go Golf Blade GF Slip-ins £160
Skechers has been busy developing some of the best technologies for out-and-out comfort in golf shoes for a number of years now.
The North
From the fine Open Championship links of the west to the grand golf hotels in the east and much more, northern England has it all
Scotland
Home to around 575 clubs, the country is packed with premium links and an inland topography of spectacular extremes
The South East
From the Garden of England in Kent down to the Isle of Wight and up through
BEST GOLF SHOES
There have never been more options when it comes to picking the right golf shoe for your game.
Nick Taylor
The drills and tips the Canadian uses to keep his game sharp could improve your consistency through the bag too
MASTER THE 50-YARD PITCH
Rethinking and simplifying your action could reap big dividends
Keswick Golf Club
Jeremy Ellwood returns to this Cumbrian course with glorious backdrops just outside the north Lakes town for the first time since its on-site accommodation opened
Are the comparisons between Scottie Scheffler and Tiger Woods justified?
With four wins and a runner-up spot in five consecutive starts plus a huge lead in the world rankings, some are starting to talk about the 2024 Masters Champion in almost the same breath as Woods
