[Players' Tribune] James Hahn: Letter to my younger self

 

James Hahn holds the winner’s trophy after his one-stroke victory on the third playoff hole against two other players in the final round of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

[THE PLAYERS' TRIBUNE]

Dear James,

Over the next 25 years, you’ll go through struggles and triumphs that you can’t even imagine right now. From a shoe salesman at Nordstrom to a PGA Tour winner, I’m here to help walk you through that journey.

You’re about eight years old, growing up in Alameda, California, watching golf greats like Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Chi-Chi Rodriguez. You can grow up and be like them one day. Everything in life is attainable. You can do whatever you want and be whomever you want to be. Keep dreaming big but know that there are hundreds of thousands of kids with the same aspirations as you. Some are even more dedicated to their craft than you are — so work harder.

As you grow up and become a successful junior golfer, you’ll hear some people say, “You’re one of the greatest junior golfers I’ve ever seen. You’ll win multiple PGA Tour events and The Masters one day.” Don’t listen to them. Some of those same people praising you will be the ones telling you to get a real job and give up on golf years later when you struggle on mini tours. They will be essential in your motivation to succeed.

There are a lot of haters in life. For the personality that you have, it means more to you to prove someone wrong than it means to prove someone right. Use what they say as motivation to do better. It’s a blessing in disguise. Those people will play a role in you eventually becoming a champion.

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