Taylor Noel Enjoying Final Season Playing the Game He Loves

Taylor Noel is a senior here at the University of Tampa who loves golf. With golf, he has played since he was only two years old. Noel had to choose between baseball and golf. He currently has an internship lined up back at home in Indiana, which is only an hour south of Chicago.

Noel has his hopes set high to be able to play golf professionally in his near future. Noel said he has gotten super lucky reflecting on his college years, especially his freshman and sophomore year, the guys really helped to shape me. Taylor never really knew hoe racially diverse golf truly is, "I play with people from all over; Europe is definitely a big one."

Everyone in his family plays golf, especially his father and grandfather-they got him really into it, which pretty much progressed from there. Noel claims that if professional golf does not work out, he is going to try to find a job in marketing. He has an older brother that is two years older that he has played with his whole life.

"Sports here are just walk-on because of the funding-I emailed the coach and I came down to visit for a while. The try-outs are straightforward, the best players make the cut and the rest have to try again next year."

Every year Noel has been given more and more funding as he continues his studies and golf here at UT. "I feel as though I matured a great deal through golf with the coaches pushing me," Noel said. Seeing the different maturity level of the different age groups has shown him how much he has changed-you have to grow up faster since college is only four years.

He has seen plenty of room for improvement based on the maturity level and mental state of the older golfers that he plays with. "Always room for improvement," Noel exclaims. Golf was just always there right in front of him. His parents reminisce Christmas when Noel was only two years old, hitting the Christmas ornament balls and how he has never stopped swinging from that point on.

Golf is Noel's passion, he wakes up every day wanting to go out and hit on the course. "There has never been a day where I woke up and did not want to go golfing," said Taylor. He goes whenever he has free time or is not in class. Golf will always give him something to do.

Written by Michelle Speaker