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Alumni Sp tlight:
Steve Atherton
Interviewed by: Daniel Soehren, PGA
Q. When you think of your time at MSU, what comes to mind?
A. When I look back on my time at MSU I think of venturing out on my own, away from my home and family in Illinois. I didn’t realize it at the time but MSU was the vehicle that helped me become an independent young adult alongside the life-long friends that I made both at MSU and on the amazing internships that shaped my career in golf. I also think about the incredible college experience at MSU - Bulldogs football, baseball and basketball games, playing golf at the yard and club volleyball, the great
food in Starkvegas, and spending time at the amazing Sanderson Center after the first few years in the Tin Gym. MSU is a very special place - one that I will always have fond memories of.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you have for current MSU PGM students?
A. Seek to find your own truths. When something doesn’t make sense ask “why?” and start looking for answers in places others haven’t looked before. Most of the best lessons I’ve learned in my life came from a natural skepticism which made me question commonly held beliefs and search for my own answers. That line of thinking helped me learn more about teaching golf than any instruction book I’ve ever read.
Name: Steve Atherton, PGA Master Professional
Hometown: Mendota, IL
Years @ MSU: 1995-1999
Current Position: Teaching Professional, Eagle Springs Golf Club - Wolcott, CO