Professional and college athletes can play a big role in the lives of high school student athletes. They have put in the time and effort and have advanced to the next level. Coweta’s Wyatt Fankhauser says that he enjoys watching golf and there is one player that he really likes to watch the most.

“Viktor Hovland is the biggest influencer,” Wyatt said. “I was able to watch him play in the NCAA Golf National Championship when I was in junior high school and that first planted the seed that made me want to be a professional golfer. Hovland is also a great follow on social media. I like to get updates on his career and life and follow his game.”

Golf has been a part of Wyatt’s life for a while and he says that when he and his family moved to their current house, there was an old golf course nearby. And that just fanned the flames of his passion for golf even more.

“In Coweta, we used to have an 18-hole golf course but unfortunately it shut down,” he said. “But five of the holes were deeded to a neighborhood because they looped around it and now the neighborhood maintains those five holes. My family moved to the neighborhood this year and now I’m able to practice whenever I’m able to. I’ve also discovered a new passion for golf course maintenance after doing some volunteer work on the course.”

While golf is an individual sport, there is still plenty of competition for Wyatt, who is a junior.

“When I am out on the course, I am in competition with myself,” he said. “And when I beat my previous low round, I enjoy that a lot. I have had a lot of great moments on the course but there is one moment when it felt like everything came together.

“The highlight moment of my career would have to be making it to state individually as a sophomore. I am thankful that my hard work and determination have started to pay off.”