UW Athletics
Dan Woltman
Some 15 years ago, a young Daniel Woltman was introduced to professional golf at the Greater Milwaukee Open, navigating Brown Deer Park Golf Course with his father and watching some of the game's best players strike the ball with ease.
A few tournaments are more memorable than others in what became an annual father-son activity — specifically the time in 1996 when Tiger Woods aced the 202-yard 14th hole — responsible for getting Woltman hooked on the game.
As the years went by and his own golf game improved, though, Woltman became impatient with watching from outside the ropes.
"When I got to be 14 or 15, I couldn't take it anymore," said Woltman, who at 21 now goes by Dan. "I couldn't watch those guys because I wanted to be the one playing out there."
Beginning Thursday, Woltman's boyhood dream will come true as the University of Wisconsin senior-to-be from Beaver Dam tees it up at the event now known as the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.
Woltman, who will play as an amateur, earned a spot in the field via his victory at the 2007 Wisconsin State Open.
And unlike most players this week — many of whom dream about winning the Masters or perhaps the U.S. Open — Woltman's No. 1 goal has always been to win in Milwaukee.
"I was always being told every year as a kid that nobody from Wisconsin has won this tournament," said Woltman, the 49th-ranked amateur in the world according to Golfweek.
"I remember seeing (Steve) Stricker and (Jerry) Kelly trying to win and coming up short. So I knew I wanted to be the first one from Wisconsin to win it. Being from Wisconsin, it's really close to me."
Motivated to perform
Woltman is playing a national amateur schedule this summer in attempt to earn a spot on the 2009 U.S. Walker Cup team, a Ryder Cup-style event that showcases the best amateurs from the U.S. and Europe.
He wasn't planning to enter last year's State Open, but after a friend told him he had no chance of playing in the USBC, a fired-up Woltman opted to skip U.S. Amateur qualifying and play his way into the event.
He shot a final-round 68 at the Meadow Valleys Course at Blackwolf Run and beat his college golf coach, Jim Schuman, by two shots for the victory. Woltman became the youngest State Open champ since Stricker in 1987.
"The nay-sayers really motivate him," said Tony Wolter, Woltman's childhood coach growing up in Beaver Dam who will caddie for him this week.
Wolter saw his pupil's talents at a young age, recalling how Woltman would run into the pro shop and beg him for a quick lesson.
"He had all the natural ability," Wolter said. "It was just fine-tuning that and trying to help him understand the game. … He has a great striking ability right now and that's always been his plus. He knows right now what type of spin is going to be on the ball the moment he hits it. He's just got such a great feel for the game."
Pro days can wait
Despite being bothered by a back injury in the spring, Woltman was named to the Big Ten Conference's second team after compiling a team-best 73.97 stroke average.
Woltman finished the fall with a team-best 72.59 stroke average, and tied for first place at the Prestige tournament at PGA West.
Woltman, who has one year of eligibility and four semesters of school left, said he would reassess his options of turning pro following the U.S. Amateur in mid-August.
"He wants to get his degree," said Bryan Woltman, his father. "It all depends on the next month. He's got some significant events coming up that will determine a lot with the Walker Cup."
As many national events as Woltman has played, he said it would be naive to think he wouldn't feel jitters on the first tee.
"If you don't have nerves then you're not clinically alive stepping on the first tee," Woltman said. "It's going to be my first PGA Tour event. After that first hole I think I'm going to be fine and settle in."
While the possibility of Woltman contending may seem like a pipe dream, UCLA sophomore Philip Francis was in the hunt at last week's John Deere Classic and eventually tied for 34th.
And at least one person likes Woltman's chances of a good showing.
"I expect him to do pretty well. Anticipate that we should make the cut," Wolter said. "But it's an individual sport. You've got to play the course, not everybody else. And to move on in this business, you have to take baby steps. And he knows that."