Athlete of the Week: Nobody stopping Nolen on the links
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On July 5, 15-year-old Stratton Nolen missed his first day of driver’s education. When he showed up on day two, his classmates were wondering where he had been.
"They had no idea what was going on. They were just like, 'What did he do so special?'" Nolen said.
As his peers began learning the difference between blinking red and yellow traffic lights, the sophomore-to-be was finishing off a third-hole playoff win in the Firecracker Open. He is the second youngest player to ever win the event.
Nolen doesn't have a great deal in common with your typical golf prodigy. He has only been playing five years and hardly ever takes lessons.
But don't mistake any of that for lack of effort or care. He's very serious about the game and practices for hours with a lofty goal in mind.
"The more I put into it, the more I can get out of it later on. I want to be a pro golfer,” he said. “That is why I take it seriously.”
Nolen has 41 tournament wins under his belt. He also helped take his Westlake team to the state championship during his freshman year.
Watch the video for more on Nolen’s shining work on the green.
Austin is home to many promising high school, amateur and professional athletes. On Mondays, YNN profiles one athlete, including a behind-the-scenes look at their path to success in
.