Hwang with Steve Donnelly, his mentor in the game.
In honor of Junior Golf Week, we gathered stories from our team about how they were introduced to the game. This installment is from Teaching Professional Brian Hwang.
The first time I held a golf club was sixth grade, but I didn’t get hooked until seventh, after a friend’s birthday party at a driving range and mini-golf course.
My home course was the Hamlet Wind Watch in my hometown of Hauppauge, on Long Island. I practiced seven days a week, even if there was snow or rain. I would putt inside and do drills to improve my game.
My mentor was Steve Donnelly, the head pro at Pine Hollow Country Club. I won more than 15 tournaments as a junior player, and one of the biggest was the Suffolk Individual Championship in May of 2007, when I was a junior in high school. You can read all about it in the Newsday article below.
My dedication to golf has paid off. I earned a scholarship to UConn and played there from 2009-12. Another highlight for me was competing in the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay. Now I make my living doing something I love, teaching players of all levels, from kids to pros.
Hwang was featured in Newsday after winning the Suffolk Individual Championship in 2007.