Q&A with Central Catholic golfer, Bloomington area resident Jack Whittington
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Central Catholic senior golfer Jack Whittington is seeking a return trip to the state golf meet this year as a senior. Here’s a Q&A.
What is your favorite thing about being on the golf course?
Jack Whittington: I love the atmosphere of it. The stillness and quietness of the golf course are things you don鈥檛 get in other sports.
What do you like to do outside of your sport?
Whittington: Working out is my second favorite thing to do. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends and fishing.
When you close your eyes and dream about your future, what does that look like?
Whittington: I want to work for a big jet or space company and design aircraft. Then later down the road, move to somewhere in the Rockies and own a bunch of land.
Ask someone in your family to pick one word to describe you. Who did you pick and what word did they use?
Whittington: My mom picked the word determined because when I see something I want, I go for it. I always put in the hard work to obtain it.
As an athlete, what is a rule you live by?
Whittington: Always give your all in everything you do. If you aren鈥檛 doing that, it鈥檚 probably not worth doing at all.
What is the biggest lesson you鈥檝e learned from golf?
Whittington: Don鈥檛 let your mistakes define you. Every round of golf has bad shots, but you have to be able to let them go and move on. Same thing goes in life if you make a mistake.
Who is your favorite professional golfer?
Whittington: Rory McIlroy because he鈥檚 not the biggest guy on the course, like myself, yet he can still pound the ball over 300 yards.
How would you describe your personality?
Whittington: I would describe myself as hard working. Whether it鈥檚 school, golf, or anything else I鈥檓 passionate about, I work hard and try my best. It鈥檚 one of the few things you can control, so why not help yourself as much as you can.
What is your favorite snack food?
Whittington: Apples with peanut butter. It鈥檚 a great post-workout snack or a late-night snack.
What is your plan after high school?
Whittington: I plan on studying to be an aerospace engineer, hopefully at the University of Notre Dame. Aerospace engineering is something that really interests me and gives me the opportunity to design cars, jets, and spacecraft. Going to Notre Dame has been a lifelong dream of mine so I鈥檓 excited to see if I can get in.
What song on your playlist has been played the most?
Whittington: I don鈥檛 know if I have a most-played song, but my most-played artist is Luke Combs. But I do have a lot of Morgan Wallen on there, too.
Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.
Whittington: Last year, I had a big problem with counting up my score during the round, and it was affecting my mental game which reflected on my final score. About midway through the season, I stopped doing that, and my scores improved significantly.
Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter or TikTok or …?
Whittington: The only social media I have is SnapChat. I don鈥檛 have any other ones because I think if I did get them, I would waste so much time on my phone.
What is your favorite golf course? Why?
Whittington: Kelly Plantation in Destin, Fla., for a couple of reasons. It鈥檚 probably been the nicest course I鈥檝e played on, and it was right along the gulf, too. Most importantly, it鈥檚 the course where I beat my dad for the first time, something I鈥檒l never forget.
What is your favorite memory from high school, on or off the field?
Whittington: Going to state last year with my team was an unreal experience. At the start of the season, we realized we were pretty young with four sophomores at the varsity level. Neither us nor our coach expected us to make it as far as we did. We won our regional championship, squeaked through the sectional championship, and four out of six guys made the cut to day 2 of state. We鈥檙e looking to go back this year, but bring home some hardware this time.
What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?
Whittington: Coach Mike Wieting loves to preach 鈥渙ne shot at a time.鈥� It sounds too simple, but really that鈥檚 all golf is. You can鈥檛 change your past shots, and you don鈥檛 know what your next shot will look like. All you can do is focus on this shot and make it a good one.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.