grandfather gave him his first golf for the needs of the family. Hearne club and at the required age of spent the next 18 months behind eight he joined the local golf club. the bar at the Southerndown Golf Hearne fell in love with the sport; Club. Although he was making a it came naturally to him. living, he knew he had to get out By age 13 he stopped playing from behind the bar. He reapplied football and focused his attention to a number of colleges and on the sport of golf. He played universities and received one local events due to the high costs offer—a 50% scholarship from of competing. However, at the Coach Steve Hulsey at Southern age of 16, with funds he earned Nazarene University. from working and the support of a Southern Nazarene University Golf Coach Hearne knew nothing about sponsor, Hearne had the financial Steve Hulsey welcomed Mike Hearne to Oklahoma. In fact, his first visit backing to travel and compete in campus in August of 2011. to the United States was in 2011 larger and more notable events. Hearne remembers giving up a lot of his free time to play golf. While friends and classmates were hanging out on the weekends, you could find Hearne on the golf course. He appeared regularly in the local newspaper for his achievements in the sport. Hearne said, “Numerous times I was told golf isn’t a real sport, but I knew deep down that it was going to be In May, 2015 Mike Hearne graduated from my ticket to be something in life.” Southern Nazarene University. Celebrating It was the sport of golf that his achievement are parents Steve, left, brought Hearne to Oklahoma, and Jennifer. specifically to Bethany’s Southern Arriving at Southern Nazarene University, Nazarene University (SNU). With international students are assigned a host family. The Brattens, Denise, left, and Ray, friends already playing golf on right, with Mike Hearne, have become scholarship in the States, Hearne extended family. knew that he wanted to do the Mike Hearne, right, with brother Lewis, left, same. Hearne said, “Being in Wales and dad Steve. when it’s raining a lot, college golf is nowhere near the same level when he and his father made that it is here. . . I also still had the trip to get Hearne settled aspirations to be a professional into his dorm at SNU. Never and most of the UK’s top amateur being on a flight longer than four golfers were hopping across the hours, he boarded a plane in pond to play NCAA golf.” London and landed 10 ½ hours Upon graduation from high later in Oklahoma City on a hot, school in 2009, Hearne already balmy August afternoon. Hearne had committed to attend Nova remembered, “I’d left Wales in Southeastern University in Fort jeans and a hoodie, walking to Lauderdale, Florida. However, prior the rental car in that heat was the to making the move to Florida his hottest I had ever experienced.” father lost his job and the savings Hearne’s first impression for Hearne’s education was used of Oklahoma City did not instill 43 35