Hoffman set to play at US Kids Golf World Championship

By Morgan Guyer

Maryville’s Colin Hoffmann comes from a family of golfers. His dad golfs. His mom golfs. His grandfather golfed. Now he is doing it quite successfully, and has qualified to play in the 12 age group at the US Kids Golf World Championship from August 3-5 in Pinehurst, NC.

Hoffmann will get the chance to play the Pinehurst No. 8 golf course alongside over 100 of the best golfers in his age group from all around the world. The par 72 course comes in at 5,700-6,000 yards in length, and will be a challenge for the young golfer, but one that he is prepared for.

“I go out to the Maryville Country Club every day in the summer, and I will go after school every day,” Hoffmann said. “It’s a fun sport because it’s a you sport.”

As Colin has continued to grow his game, he has also improved in handling the mental challenges of a sport like golf.

“I was not very good at it for a while, but I got a coach that has been helping me with that a lot. I would get super angry with myself, but one thing I have learned is that you have to move on to the next shot and forget about it,” Hoffmann said.

He first started with smacking a golf ball around the course when he was two years old with his dad, which would turn him into beginning to participate in tournaments at around seven. Neither Hoffmann nor his family thought he would be where he is now with the sport, but he has made it his athletic focus as he nears high school, and has a goal of eventually playing golf in college.

For Hoffmann, his favorite part has been being able to travel and meet new people. He has already played tournaments in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and even got the chance to attend the Open Championship last summer at the Old Course at St Andrews, the oldest golf course in the world dating back to 1552.

He has found help around the area as well, with Maryville High School Golf Coach Brenda Ricks and the Mozingo Lake Golf Course’s Head Golf Pro Kyle Easter offering their own expertise. He is looking forward to being able to face the best-of-the-best at Pinehurst, after missing out on the chance a couple years ago by just a few strokes.

“I want to compete with the best players, because there are no bad players at Pinehurst. They are all good and they have all played good in the past,” Hoffmann said.

Colin’s mom, Allison, walked on at the University of Kansas to play golf for a year, and she has found it very rewarding to watch Colin continue to find growth and success in the sport of golf.

“My dad loved golf, and I just think about how proud he would be of Colin and seeing his success,” Allison said. “For us it’s a family affair. My husband loves it and we get to go on some great trips.”

After playing at Pinehurst, Hoffman will play in a regional tournament in Minnesota later in August.