After winning his third European eTour event in the Scandinavian Mixed late last month, golfx3 has quickly risen to the top of the WGT World Rankings. And, as the youngest eTour championship qualifier, the 21-year-old college student has earned a total of $15,000 through three events and a spot at the final eTour championship in Dubai.
To learn more about golfx3, we asked him about how he began playing WGT, what advice he’d give new players and how he plans on spending his winnings…
Tell us about yourself
I’m a 21-year-old college student who grew up in a small town in Illinois. Growing up, I loved to compete in all types of different sports. I qualified for state in both golf and track and field my freshman year in high school. I just love to compete, and sports was the way I did it back then. As time has passed, I now like to try and fill that competitive void with WGT golf. I also major in Computer Science so anything computer/tech/programming related I enjoy as well. Whether it’s the new and cool latest tech or programming theory, I’m into it all.
How did you get into playing WGT?
As a younger kid, I played a lot of golf in real life and needed something to pass the time at night, so I basically did a quick google search for “Online Golf Games” and found this game.
Do you have any WGT stats you’re particularly proud of?
I am not proud of any specific stat, but more so all the stats that I have relative to the total amount of rounds I have played.
Do you have eTour rounds or shots you’re proud of?
There was a putt I had vs Jsmithers in the grand finals of the Made in Denmark eTour event on Merion #5. It was the back pin and I had a tricky 15-foot putt from back behind the pin. It’s a tricky putt that can easily come back down the hill if missed so I had to play it safe. The plan was to try and lag it up close and 2-putt it in for par, but I ended up accidently playing the putt perfectly and it dropped in for birdie.
What are the most important tips you’d give new players?
The best tip for new players in my opinion is to learn from your mistakes. Anytime you hit a bad shot or miss a putt, think about what you did wrong and apply a new strategy for when you have a similar shot in the future. Another great way to improve is by watching others play. Many of the top players in the game upload/livestream their rounds on YouTube and Twitch. You wouldn’t believe how much you learn just by watching even one round of them playing.
Also, just have fun with it. There are so many ways to play this game. Whether you like the social aspect of it in multiplayer games chatting it up with your friends, grinding practice rounds alone trying to get better, or competing in tournaments. Find what you like playing the most and go with it.
What advice do you have for players hoping to qualify for the European eTour?
The best advice I have for people trying to qualify for the European eTour is to get yourself familiarized with the particular clubs you have to play with. Most people don’t practice with the clubs beforehand so you basically get a competitive edge over most of the competition by doing this.
Favorite golf course to play in WGT or in real life?
I haven’t had the privilege to play any top tier courses yet in real life yet but in WGT I would say my favorite course is Chambers Bay due to the amount of long, challenging par 4s there are.
What is your plan for your European eTour earnings?
Nothing planned for the short term. As a college student, most of the money will be used to help pay for tuition. Other than that, I’m pretty cheap so the rest of it will probably put in savings.