A SwingThought TOUR Q&A With Scott Strohmeyer
The Golf Coaches Association of America, in cooperation with its long-time corporate partner, the SwingThought TOUR, will feature a monthly Q&A with former collegians who are currently playing or have played on the SwingThought TOUR. Long considered the premier developmental tour in the United States, thousands of former college players have started their professional careers there. More than 250 SwingThought TOUR alumni have or continue to play on the PGA TOUR.
This month we spoke with Scott Strohmeyer, who played collegiately at the University of Alabama.
Q: How long have you been playing golf? At what point did you realize you wanted to play golf in college?
I started playing golf when I was 12. I gave up baseball and started playing seriously at age 13, which was when I realized I wanted to play golf at the highest levels.
Q: You played collegiately at Alabama. What about your time playing in college do you think has helped you the most as a professional?
I got to be around a lot of very successful players and coaches while at Alabama. This really helped keep me on my toes everyday and challenge myself to get better everyday. Not being the best player on my team or even having a safe spot in the top 5 was helpful in preparing me for professional golf.
Q: You were part of a National Championship winning team for the Crimson Tide in 2013. What was the experience like playing in the championship match against Illinois?
It was an awesome experience. It was great to have another chance to win a national championship after we lost to Texas the year before.
Q: There isn’t a lot of match play in college or professional golf. Is it something that you enjoyed playing? Did you approach it any different than you would a stroke play tournament round?
I love match play. When I was younger I played a lot of match play with my friends at our home course. Its my favorite format to play. For me I don’t change my strategy that much. I tend to be an aggressive player and match play lets me relax and not worry about having a really high score because it only cost you 1 hole versus losing multiple shots.
Q: One of your teammates in college was current FedEx Cup and PGA Champion Justin Thomas. What was Justin like in college?
He was very good. Very hard worker and was very good at getting a lot out of his game and his preparation.
Q: You played for a Hall of Fame coach in college, Jay Seawell. What is something you learned from Coach Seawell that you will always remember?
Coach Seawell taught me that there are multiple ways to play the game of golf. This has helped me to become a more complete player and be able to play well on different styles of golf courses.
Q: You recently played in and finished in the top 5 at your first PGA TOUR event, the Sanderson Farms Championship. What was the week like for you?
It was a dream come true. I always felt that I had the ability and game to play well on the PGA Tour, so to be able to validate it in my first event, it gave me a large boost of confidence. Also, it was a great learning experience being in the final group and getting to see what it takes to win on the PGA Tour.
Q: What about your time playing on the SwingThought TOUR helped prepare you for your PGA TOUR debut?
The SwingThought TOUR allowed me to play against good competion and helped give me a place to play and test my game in competition.
Q: What is your favorite golf course you have had the chance to play?
Augusta National
Q: What advice would you offer current collegiate golfers that would like to turn professional?
Work hard and find your identity as a golfer. There are many different ways to be successful at the professional level and the key to success is finding the way that works best for you and your personality.