Tommy Rhomberg, 16, is a sophomore who is a three sport athlete. He is a wide receiver in football and a point guard in basketball but his favorite thing to do is play golf. Rhomberg has loved golf from a very young age. When he was 4, his parents bought him toy golf clubs that sparked his love for golf.

“I remember those clubs that my parents got me,” Rhomberg said. “I used to hit the ball around for hours.” His dad, John Rhomberg, was a golfer when he was in college at the University of Iowa. Rhomberg got most of his inspiration from his dad, who continues to inspire him as the head coach for the Mount Vernon High School golf team.

Furthermore, Rhomberg has been able to improve exponentially due to the combination of his love of the game and his father’s guidance. He is very dedicated throughout the offseason with a strict workout plan consisting of 6-day practice weeks in the summer and 2-3 day practice weeks in the winter.

There are a couple of devices that speed up Rhomberg’s development, such as the golf simulator that he and his dad installed into their garage so he can still practice in the winter or any time the weather isn’t suitable for golf. The simulator has helped him work on his swing where he strives to model his swing after Rory Mcilroy, a world-class golfer. He also just got a new putting green which has helped him with his short game. “My short game is what separates me from my competition,” he said, “and it’s the best part of my game.”

Growing up, Rhomberg also looked up to Tiger Woods because he was his dad’s favorite player. Woods, being the greatest golfer of all time, provided many memorable moments, but when Rhomberg was 11, he and his father went and saw him in person at a PGA championship in Louisville, Kentucky. “There were hundreds of people watching Tiger putt, and I couldn’t see,” Rhomberg said. “So my dad picked me up and put me on his shoulders.” This memory was what helped him further fall in love with the game.

Due to being on the varsity team as a freshman, Rhomberg was able to make many memories such as the golf trip where the team went to Branson, Missouri. They spent five days there where they golfed every day. He was able to spend time with his friends over these five days whether it was while playing or during various team bonding events. But this fun didn’t only exist on the trip, Rhomberg was able to have this fun throughout the whole season with his friends.