Golf is a sport that a majority of players start playing at a young age. According to Golf Digest, as soon as kids show interest in the sport, they should immediately start playing.

Jackson Likes, freshman, has been playing golf since he was 10 years old.

Likes’ father is the one who got him started in the game and has been his main mentor.

He also has an outside coach, Clay Devers from Prairie Highlands Golf Club.

“My favorite golf course I’ve ever played is Pinehurst #9,” Likes said, “that’s where the world championship was.”

In Kansas, he enjoys playing at Dub’s Dread Golf Course in Kansas City the most.

Likes played in the Junior World Championship last year. Pinehurst is a combination of nine golf courses.

The combination of the courses has been home to prestigious tournaments including the U.S. Open.

He shot 74 (2 over par), 78 (6 over par), and 83 (11 over par) at Pinehurst #9.

He’s played in many other tournaments out of the state, another being the Texas Open.

He has played five different states, spanning over 20 golf courses.

He was also invited to play in Scotland.

Likes has truly impressive stats to go along with his play on the course.

His fairway percentage is around 40-50 percent. This is how accurate he is off the tee box. The PGA Tour average is 61 percent.

His green in regulation (GIR) stat is also right on par with the professionals.

This is how accurate he is at getting the ball on the green, with as few shots as possible. His GIR stat is 66 percent.

He does not have any hole-in-ones yet, but he has been very close.

Likes has also made seven eagles in his career. This is when the player gets the ball in the hole two shots under the par for a particular hole.

So where does the magic for Likes come from? In the words of Spike Lee, film director, “It’s all in the shoes” (even though Michael Jordan disagrees).

Golf shoes are no ordinary type of shoe. If Likes walks about five miles per 18 holes, he needs a shoe to keep up with the wear and tear of the game, through tall grass and rain.

According to Golf Digest, Footjoy is the most popular shoe in golf because they are so comfortable and durable.

Likes has not yet played in a golf tournament in a Falcon uniform due to breaking his finger.

However, he will be back in time for the last five tournaments of the year, so he will have time to practice and make an impact at regionals and possibly at state.

“Going to state is the goal,” Likes said.