As Jennifer Hong was climbing the ranks of the nation’s top junior golf prospects, she and her family decided she should move from their home in South Bend, Ind., to Windermere, Fla.
During seventh grade, Hong left her family behind and moved with her uncle, who was also living in South Bend. In Windermere she could practice her golf game year-round, taking advantage of the warm weather.
And a resident of her new town just happened to be Tiger Woods.
“I actually met him once at (the golf course at) Keene’s Pointe,” said Hong, who lives in a subdivision at Keene’s Pointe. “He was playing with some players from the Atlanta Braves. He was extremely nice, and I got to take a picture with him.”
While living in Windermere for the past five-and-a-half years, golf has been a way of life for Hong.
She said her days consist of going to school at Orlando’s First Academy, practicing golf for three or four hours, doing some school work and then doing it all over again the next day.
But the year-round dedication has helped Hong become one of the best junior golfers in the United States.
She won two American Junior Golf Association events in 2004 and is currently No. 14 in the junior girls’ Golfweek/Titleist Performance Index.
Once a month, her uncle, Mitch Hong, drives her four hours south to Weston Hills Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where she takes lessons from Jim McLean, who was the 1994 PGA National Teacher of the Year.
“Her game is solid in all aspects,” said McLean, whose Jim McLean Golf Schools were ranked No. 1 in the country by CNN and U.S. News and World Report. “She has a super-hard work ethic and is gracious and very smart.”
Hong, a member of the HP Scholastic Junior All-America team, said her main reasons for coming to Northwestern were academics and the close location to her parents, who still live in South Bend.
And although she will be trading in the sun for the four seasons of Evanston, Hong has some experience working indoors.
“In our garage we set up two mirrors and four fans — because it gets to about 100 degrees in there,” said Mitch Hong, who is his niece’s primary golf coach. “We videotaped (her swing) and worked on her mechanics.”
Mitch Hong said when he asked his niece about working indoors at NU’s Gleacher Golf Center, she said, “It’s air-conditioned.”
Coach Chris Regenberg said Jennifer Hong is one of the best recruits she has signed in her 13 years at NU.
“She is tremendously strong technically and is an outstanding ball-striker,” Regenberg said. “She comes as a fresh, positive energy for this team and will definitely push our best players.”
McLean said Hong is the type of player that can contribute right away for the Wildcats.
“College golf is definitely a step up from junior golf,” McLean said. “But there are some players in junior golf — like Michelle Wie — that are as good as any individual players in college. And Jennifer has played against them all.”
Jennifer Hong said she is excited to play for the Cats and make her mark on the women’s golf program.
And Mitch Hong said he gave Jennifer advice as she will be moving to yet another place: “It’s not where you are, but who you are and what you want to achieve.”
Perhaps one day Jennifer Hong will stand among Windermere’s golf royalty, right next to Tiger Woods.
Reach Scott Duncan at [email protected].
