MIDWAY, Utah — A perfect Tuesday for practice at Wasatch Mountain Golf Course brought out more than just golfers — even the deer came to watch! But as beautiful as this golf course is, Beaver High School golfers Statton Cox and Taven Young already have their eyes set thousands of miles away.
The student athletes are two of 24 golfers from across the country selected to travel to the Scotland Junior Golf Invitational, where they will get to play on some of the most prestigious courses in the world.
"I mean, it's like the birthplace of golf," Cox said. "It's going to be really cool to see where it all started, the game that I love."
The trip is organized by Go Golf Tours, a company that has been taking young golfers to Scotland for over a decade.
"I was over there in 2015, and my son was getting ready to go to high school, and I decided it would be really good for him to learn a different style of golf, so off we went to Scotland with four kids that first year," said Go Golf Tours owner Brian Volmer.
Over the years, the Invitational has grown in size, and Volmer says the trip transforms how young golfers think on the course.
"Over there with the firm conditions, the wind, and everything else, there are a lot more variables," Volmer said. "When athletes come back, we've found they're a lot more creative, they think a little bit better on the golf course."
For Beaver High School Golf Coach Jason Pollard, the Scotland tournament has become a goal his players chase from day one.
"It's motivated these players for three years as freshmen, as sophomores, as juniors, they all knew there was a benchmark to hit to make it to the Scotland tournament," he said.
The group will leave at the beginning of June, and Cox and Young are looking forward to bringing the Beaver golf flare to where it all started.
"I've never left the country, so I'm excited to go and travel the world," Young said.
"I'm really excited to see the different styles of courses that they have over there, and seeing how I can play on them," Cox added.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Go Golf Tours or the Scotland Junior Invitational.
