When most three-year-olds were eating animal crackers in the sandbox, Kyle Hosick was hitting chip shots out of the bunker.

Born in January 1985, Hosick, a Saluki alumnus, was practically teeing off out of the womb – twenty-two years and numerous scorecards later, the former Saluki is joining Hooters Professional Golf Tour during the winter session.

“As a kid, I loved golf.” Hosick said, “I played because it was fun.”

It wasn’t until his high school years Hosick really considered the possibility of going pro. By the time Hosick pulled in front of the SIUC Student Center in 2002, his sights were set on making golf a profession.

As a freshman, Hosick enjoyed great success winning his first tournament with an average score of 73.03 and a low game of 68. Hosick was also selected to the all-Missouri Valley Conference team.

Throughout his SIU career his numbers decreased as his trophy case continued to grow. Hosick was MVC Golfer-of-the-Week three times, earned a medal at the Murray State Invitational and by the time he transferred to the University of Illinois, he owned the second best 54-hole in SIU history.

At the end of 2004, though, Hosick decided it was time to move on to the next challenge. “(SIU) had a pretty good team but the courses we played weren’t challenging enough,” Hosick said. “It’s a different level of golf at (University of Illinois) and the academics were a plus.”

At U of I, under the tutelage of head coach Mike Small, Hosick honed his game.

“Kyle was a great student athlete,” Small said. “Not only did he excel on the green but he did very well academically.”

In his first semester Hosick shot a stroke average of 74.4, second best on the team. Hosick’s tenure at U of I was studded with accolades and awards – including Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, five top-10 finishes and a career stroke average of 73.94.

Hosick hopes to play for the PGA alongside big name players such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Small likes the chances of Hosick in the pros.

“He did very well this summer in the amateurs,” Small said. “If he just goes out as a player and doesn’t try to approach the game too analytically he’ll do fine.”

Daily Egyptian writer Frankie Migacz can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 268 or [email protected].