Jorge Garcia tees off during the third round of the Southern Amateur Championship golf tournament Friday at The Honors Course in Ooltewah.Only 18-year-old Jorge Garcia broke 70 on Friday during the third round of the Southern Amateur at The Honors Course.
He’s also the only competitor who left his home, and his country, at age 12 to continue playing the game he loves.
Garcia, a native of Anaco, Venezuela, moved from there to live with his aunt in Miami based almost entirely on golfing opportunities.
“They closed the golf course where I lived when I was 9,” Garcia said. “In order to keep playing, I had to move here.”
His next move will be into housing near the University of Florida next summer. Even though former coach Buddy Alexander stepped down, Garcia has remained true to his word of playing for the Gators beginning in the fall of 2015. A large part of that sustained commitment is the continued role of assistant coach John Handrigan, who helped with the switch from Alexander to J.C. Deacon.