ST. LOUIS – Dillon Eaton has always loved the game of golf.
“I grew up with my grandpa," said Eaton. "He taught me how to play when I was like two-and-a-half or three.”
That’s where a little bit of his passion for the sport comes from, but it’s not the only reason why he loves being out on the links.
“The challenge?"
The 2017 NCCGA National Champion, Eaton played golf in high school at Lafayette and he’s currently a junior at Mizzou, where he’s been playing on the club golf team for two-and-a-half years now.
“I always say like, 'I wish I had the opportunity to try college golf,' added Eaton. "But, after having my college experience, and have this on top of it, I think this is ultimately where I would have ended up.”
It’s the perfect balance for him.
“I mean, for me, I joined a country club. I still go out and play whenever I want to play, but I don’t have the pressure of feeling like I have no life outside of golf.”
Plus.
“There’s plenty of guys out here that should be playing college golf on some team. Like, the competition level is still really high.”
Eaton was one of 348 golfers who competed over the weekend at the national championship, and it’s the first time the NCCGA has selected St. Louis to host this tournament.
“St. Louis is pretty much in the center of the country," said Kris Hart, the founder and CEO of Nextgengolf. "It's centrally located no matter what coast they’re coming from.”
Hart has poured his soul into Nextgengolf, which is the organization that makes events like the one this weekend at Norwood Hills Country Club a reality.
“If we didn’t exist, these students wouldn’t be playing golf," said Hart. "The game of golf you really need new younger players, and at the college level at lot of these students after they played high school golf they said, 'Geez I thought I’m done.' 'I’m never competing or playing again.' Now they’re here playing in St. Louis in a national championship."
