Across sports, you hear about the athletes’ heartwarming stories and their road to success. Overcoming injuries and circumstances is the story for one of LSU golf’s own
At first glance, all you see are the results. But, once you dig deeper, you can see the great story that is Christopher Woollam and the greatness he exemplifies.
For Woollam, coming to LSU was never on the table. Playing collegiate golf was not always an option either.
“No one knew who I was,” Woollam said when speaking on his recruiting process. “I was really late into looking at colleges.”
“LSU was never on my radar,” Woollam went on and explained. “I never thought I would get into LSU.”
In fact, Woollam was never on LSU’s radar either.
“I was actually playing in a golf tournament with an ex-LSU golfer,” Woollam said. “She opened the door for me. I emailed the coach and the rest is history.”
As one of the late arrivals in LSU Golf’s 2017 recruiting class, Woollam had something to prove: he belonged.
“Coming into it (LSU), I knew it was going to be a struggle getting into the team,” Woollam said. “I felt like I could play with all the players here.”
During his freshman campaign in 2018, Woollam failed to take part in any of the tournaments that LSU was competing in. With this, Woollam knew that he had to work harder than everyone else on the team. It was never a question of if, but how.
“I always knew that I could do better,” Woollam said with confidence. “I just needed to make a few adjustments to prove that I could hang with the guys. It (missing tournaments) sucked, but it helped drive me to where I am.”
Woollam’s sophomore season came around, and everything seemed to be heading in the right direction for him. His back had other plans. The sophomore golfer missed significant time in the fall as he was hit with an injury.
“I had a really good summer and played really well in the first tournament,” Wollam said. “Two days before our next tournament, my back got thrown out from a prior injury.”
The South Africa native came into the 2019 spring season with a huge chip on his shoulder, and he has done nothing but produce for the Tigers. He rose to the occasion, as one of the leaders of this team, Trey Winstead, was sidelined with an injury.
“I came into this tournament really excited,” Woollam said. “I was nervous at first, but I settled in and I’m glad I was able to step up for my team.”
Woollam turned in the best score of the first round for the Tigers with a 1-under 71 in the Southwestern Invitational. He carded two eagles and a birdie through a span of four holes to move his score under par, where he finished the round. Woollam’s two eagles on holes No. 12 and 15 are the first eagles of his career at LSU. Woollam started the round 2-over on the front nine but found his rhythm to rebound and finish 3-under on the back nine. In addition to the two eagles, he also recorded three birdies and seven pars in his round. He finished tied for ninth on the individual leaderboard at the completion of round one.
“It was a good start,” Woollam said when speaking on his team’s success in their first tournament. “We still have a long way to go.”
As the season goes on, Woollam looks to build on what he has made. His determination to himself, teammates and coaches is second to none.
Although no one knew his name before, Woollam is quickly and quietly embedding his name in the LSU golf books.
LSU golf’s Christopher Woollam: From late freshman arrival to team leader
January 31, 2020
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