For Kickapoo High School senior golfer Owen Jump, the road back to the state meet needed a boost like this.
There he was Monday at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s High School Golf Clinic presented by the Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company. On the driving range of Highland Springs Country Club, he couldn’t help but take a long look at the instructors and fellow teens, and then dream big.
“This really helps get ready for the season, fix our mistakes we might have and help improve our scores for the season coming up,” Jump said.
Jump was among nearly 100 high schoolers who turned out for the 27th annual event and was in good hands. Golf pros from area courses included Highland Springs’ Erick Womack, Steve Harrison, as well as Jared Sloan, Garrett Holt, Rick Grayson, John Bradish, Larry Ray, Don Greene, Rich Brittan, Megan Johnston, Ronnie Jeffrey and Mike Miguel.
Chick-fil-A provided chicken sandwiches, while Ozarks Coke supplied beverages on a nice spring day that comes just days ahead of the opening tournament on the schedule. Schools were represented by Kickapoo, Glendale, Central, Marshfield and Reeds Spring.
Jump worked with Harrison.
“I was coming in too steep on my swing. My swing feels good, but we worked on an issue I was having,” said Jump, a returning state qualifier. “I was hoping our team qualified for state (last year) and hopefully this helps. If you keep on working at (all these tips today), it’ll be with you the rest of your life.”
Hoyt Joiner, a sophomore from Marshfield, expressed appreciation for all of the pros for taking time to help young golfers like himself. He took up the sport only two years ago, and many others on hand said they were new as well.
“It’s great to learn,” said Joiner, who took up the sport after going with his dad to a golf course. “It helps me a lot. I’ve learned to move the ball more in the middle of my stance.”
Finnley Smillie, a freshman on the Glendale girls team, also planned to take what she learned and apply it this summer. Even though her high school season doesn’t begin until August, she wants to use every tip she can in order to build momentum toward her sophomore season.
“I picked up my first golf club in August,” Smillie said. “I’ve hit with my driver a lot, and I have a problem with picking up my shoulders when I swing. (Johnston) has helped me keep my shoulders down.”
Maya Baker, a sophomore at Glendale, first played the sport last year.
“I’m hoping this next season will be a little better,” Baker said. “(Johnston) has helped me get my swing into the air. You’ve got to be dead when you hit the ball.”
“This is an event that every Coca-Cola high school in the area needs to take advantage of,” said Taylor Frederich, Director of Operations for the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. “It’s not every day they get instruction from some of the best teachers in the game. And I heard a lot of coaches say they appreciated that Coca-Cola sponsored the event.”