Amesbury native Colby Wollitz is a competitor. His passion is golf.
"I don't get involved in many things without the idea in my head that I'm going to do well in it," said Wollitz.
He's done well enough in the sport to give serious thought to playing in the U.S. Open; in fact, he took his first crack at it this spring.
In May, the 25-year-old decided to take a shot at the U.S. Open Qualifier in St. Louis where he finished as a medalist and qualified for the Sectional Qualifier. Bringing an entourage of two: his girlfriend, Joni Spalding and her father, Norman, as his caddy, Wollitz headed for Springfield, Ohio.
"Excited, nervous ... you name it," Wollitz said of his feelings going into the sectional at Springfield Country Club, a 6,900-yard, 36-hole, Donald Ross-designed course known for its fast greens with a lot of slope. It was there that Wollitz was surrounded by golf pros, college players and even three of the top 150 players in the world.
"My main goal was to get out there, have fun and see if I (could) learn anything about my golf game. That's always my goal when I play golf.
"I love the pressure, I love having people out there watching me. It fits my personality well. To relieve the pressure, I go up and talk to any random person who's watching," Wollitz said.
Wollitz cruised for 27 holes, hovering in the top four for the day.
Then, the game of golf struck.
"On my 28th hole of the day, I made a triple bogey," said Wollitz. "At first, you're in disbelief. You go from every shot meaning something to really being out of it at that point."
Wollitz could have given up, but remembered some advice that his parents, Curtis and Sue, gave to him while back home in Amesbury.
"Whenever we lost a hockey game or I didn't play well in a golf tournament, they'd say, 'Don't worry; there's always another one after that.'"
Wollitz refocused, telling himself that he was there to have fun and needed to finish strong. "I didn't want to get done with the round and say, 'I wish I hadn't fallen apart after that one hole. Don't regret the rest of this round just because of that one,'" he said.
Wollitz finished the day at 69-73 and did not qualify for the Open. Only two players — Seung Yul Noh of Seoul, Korea (132) and Jesse Hutchins of Cincinnati (135) qualified in the field of 34 players aiming for an Open bid.
"I was exhausted," Wollitz admitted. "At first you're disappointed and really don't have a lot of time to digest what just happened on the golf course. It was the five-hour ride we had home that night that allowed me to think about it, and I came to the conclusion that I was pretty happy about what I did. I learned so much from it that it meant more to me than some of the tournaments that I've won."
All about the competition
Wollitz's golf career began at the Amesbury Golf and Country Club when he was 9. "I was a kid when my dad would drop me off before work and pick me up after," said Wollitz, who would put in a full eight-hour shift on the links. "I was just going out and playing because I loved the game so much."
Wollitz played varsity golf, as well as hockey at Amesbury High, seeing himself only as an average golfer. After graduating in 2004, he headed south, attending Methodist University in North Carolina to study business with a concentration in golf management. He played on the golf team at the university, again not considering himself any sort of star.
After college, Wollitz became a Class-A PGA professional and found a job at the Hamilton Farms Golf Club in New Jersey. While there, he picked up a few wins in professional tournaments, including a sectional win. Last year, Wollitz got a gig as an assistant golf pro at the Hunting Creek Country Club in Louisville, Ky.
"I golf for the competition," admitted Wollitz, "whether it's competition against other people, against the course, or against yourself."
For now, Wollitz is staying busy. He'll play in the Kentucky PGA Section Championship July 18 and 19 and the Kentucky Open Aug. 2 to 4, where his father will caddy for him. "The last two sectional events he caddied for me, I won. So, I'm hoping to extend that streak," Wollitz said.
After that, Wollitz hopes to make another run at the Open next spring.
"I expect to get at least as far as I got last year," he said. "Obviously, the main goal is to play in the U.S. Open, (but) that's too far in the future to predict. Tomorrow is too far in the future to predict in golf."
An emotional Iverson returns to Philly
Jackson on his desire to be a better leader
Hamels on Harper and free-agency
Manuel is helping the Phillies loosen up
Fans prove they're not fair-weather fans
Sixers confident in their fans
Are the starters feeling extra pressure?
The Sixers are prepared to win or go home
Kelce reflects on his first year as an Eagle
Brandon Bass 1-on-1
Nix talks about going to the DL
Are the Sixers falling apart?
McCarthy and Wheeler recap the Phillies' loss
What is wrong with Roy Halladay?
Bob Ryan doesn't know what to expect in game 6
Phillies on the loss to the Nationals
Phillies on Ruiz's ejection
Brandon Bass dominates the Sixers in Game 5
Sixers PGL crew on the keys to the Sixers' loss in Game 5
The Sixers on their costly turnovers in Game 5
