Maize South junior Wells Padgett planning for a pro golf career

The first time that Maize South golfer Wells Padgett and his parents talked with swing coach Josh Cook, Padgett shared his goal of playing on the PGA Tour.

It’s a common goal of young golfers, but Cook is a realist and didn’t hesitate to share the discouraging statistic that, on average, about 10 Americans in every birth year will play pro golf.

But Padgett, a junior who has made a non-binding commitment to Auburn, isn’t merely dreaming about a pro career. He’s planning on it.

“Wells truly has a gift, and he might be one of those small percentage who might make it,” said his mom, Connie.

Cook agreed.

“I’d say he’s well ahead of the curve,” Cook said. “Will he play professional golf? Yes. How long or how successful he will be will depend on how well he continues to develop prior to college and most importantly in college.

“It can’t be that Division I is just your goal and you stop developing your skills. He’ll be pushed significantly to develop his skills in college. It’s up to me to help him be a realist, that it’s not going to be that easy.

“But he’s intent on doing just that.”

Padgett, who shot a 3-under-par 69 at Auburn Hills on Monday in Maize South’s first tournament, finished second in Class 5A as a sophomore. He was fourth in 5A as a freshman.

His focus this season is not on winning as an individual but getting Maize South’s first team title.

“Last year we won every tournament besides state,” Padgett said. “… I’d rather lose every tournament and win state.”

Padgett grew up on the Reflection Ridge golf course, and when his dad played a few holes after work, Padgett was right there with him, lugging along his plastic clubs.

He stopped playing basketball and football, because on sunny days he yearned to be on the golf course instead.

His focus on the game increased when he was 13 and made the cut in the Kansas Amateur in a field of adult men.

“That’s when I started thinking I could do this as a career and maybe go to college and begin my journey to be on the PGA Tour,” he said. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. I want to do the job that I love, and I feel there’s no other job that I could want.”

Padgett won the Big I national junior championship in August with a 5-over-par four-round score. He was even through the first three rounds.

He also won the U.S. junior amateur qualifier last summer, then finished eighth at the national junior amateur.

In the summer of 2014, he played in tournaments in the Midwest. Last summer, he played in Texas, South Carolina, Florida and Alabama as a way to grab the attention of college coaches from the prestigious southern programs.

“He’s got superior ability,” Maize South coach Steve Martling said. “His hand and eye coordination is very, very good. He can put a golf ball about anywhere he wants it.”

Padgett handles the mental side of the game, too.

Connie Padgett said his composure never wavers, even with a big crowd watching or with a handful of college coaches standing at the tee box.

“I’ve never been much of a guy with a temper,” he said. “I don’t get down on myself. There’s a lot of birdies left and a lot of holes left. I’ve had a few rounds where I get a double or triple bogey, but I come back with a few birdies.”

Martling has seen Padgett recover frequently.

“He sees possibilities with shots that others don’t see,” Martling said. “He got into trouble (at Auburn Hills), tried a flop shot that would stop quick. It went farther than he expected and didn’t get a very good lie. But he came back and had a bogey. He had seven birdies, four bogeys.”

Cook chalks that up to Padgett’s belief in himself.

“Good form can only take you so far,” Cook said. “What he has is a significant belief in himself.… You need that in this game. In golf, you rarely win, especially at the college and pro level. You’re always getting beat up. Very few win multiple times a year.

“So in golf, you have to have a belief that no matter what, I’m going to get up and I’m going to improve and I’m getting better all the time. and I know that I can reach my goals.

“That’s how he’s always been.”

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 11:10 AM with the headline "Maize South junior Wells Padgett planning for a pro golf career."