Championship-caliber golfers usually picked up the game at a young age; Cooper Watson has been playing golf since he could walk.

His father, Scott Watson, played at Cameron University.

“I remember going to the golf course with him on the weekends and playing 5 or so holes. Then when I was about 7, he started coaching me,” Watson said. 

First, they just learned how to put the golf ball in the hole. Then, they started on Cooper’s swing and mechanics. Fourteen years later, Watson, a MacArthur High School sophomore, is one of the most impressive players of his age.

“I think that it has helped me because I can make more birdies than anyone else in the field. I am currently tied for first in birdies made per round in all of Oklahoma high school golf,” Watson said. “[My dad] coached me through my mental game. I now have a swing coach that I take lessons from.”

Watson’s freshman season “went pretty good” by his own standard. He qualified for state and finished 18th at the tournament. He averaged 76 for the year.

This year, he’s already off to a scorching start shooting a 73 average. The sky’s the limit for the eager sophomore.

“I think first is a good goal,” Watson said.

In his spare time, Watson likes to hunt with his dad and cousin and fish with friends from school. There’s some similarities with hunting and golf.

“Just patience and determination. You have to keep going out because you’re ont going to see any deer most of the times you go out,” Watson said. “I’ve learned patience on the golf course by playing tournaments, because I know it’s going to be slow and I have to keep myself calm and not get in a rush.”

Watson’s ambitions don’t stop with winning a state championship. He also wants to receive a Division I golf scholarship and take the game as far as it will let him after high school.