Remember a few years back when there was a young, budding star ready to take the PGA Tour by storm?
That was Jordan Spieth.
Whether you watch golf or not, that name is omnipresent in the media, so you probably know of him in some capacity. The 22-year-old turned professional in 2012 and has already made his mark on golf history this past season.
Well, there's another 22-year-old ready to be a full-timer on the PGA Tour. He's pretty familiar with Spieth and is perhaps even beginning to mirror the two-time major winner's early success as a pro.
That's Ollie Schniederjans.
Schniederjans and Spieth began playing junior golf together when they were 15 years old. The two competed for years and had the same goal to play on the PGA Tour. While Spieth turned pro after spending only a year and a half at the University of Texas before beginning his meteoric rise to the top, Schniederjans attended Georgia Tech for four years and graduated in May with a degree in business management.
Spieth had it all figured out early on his career, but the transition wasn't as seamless for Schniederjans.
"I remember my main goal heading into college was to become the No. 1 amateur in the world, but my first year was a struggle," Schniederjans told HNGN recently, as part of an exclusive interview. "I saw those guys – Jordan [Spieth] and Justin [Thomas] – were killing it and were the best in the world. I was kind of lagging behind."
Schniederjans even watched a couple of his other buddies – Patrick Rodgers and Daniel Berger – turn pro before him.
"College was a difficult transition for sure. I had a lot going on in my life that first year. I lost my best friend in a car accident, school was really tough, and my golf was struggling. The academics were extremely difficult, and I just didn't really like school. It was a big life change."
Sure, Schniederjans is behind Spieth, Thomas, Reed and Berger in terms of success on the PGA Tour, but the 22-year-old has grown in his own way, and that's not to be overlooked.
Despite starting off his college career a bit disoriented as almost nothing seemingly went right for him, Schniederjans was glad he chose to attend Georgia Tech even though he was recruited by a number of other top golf schools in the country.
"Coach [Bruce] Heppler has made the program as special as it is," Schniederjans said confidently. "I really believe that those who go there come out much more prepared for life, adversity and challenges compared to most kids coming out of college. I think that's why a lot of guys from GT are on the PGA Tour – those who maybe weren't the most talented players but made it because of their maturity and how much they were able to grow in college.
"My overall college experience was great. There was a lot of good and bad and it prepared me exactly as I hoped it would. It prepared me for the next level and the journey of golf and life," Schniederjans said.
Schniederjans actually made remarkable strides while at Georgia Tech: he was a three-time All-American, two-time ACC Player of the Year and the No. 1 amateur in the world in 2014. He received the McCormack Medal for remaining atop the World Amateur Golf Ranking last year, and, as a result, was granted an invitation to both the 2015 U.S. Open and British Open.
*Keep an eye out for Schniederjans, who will be competing in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open this week.
