Amid the unveiling of his new LIV Golf team on Tuesday, Talor Gooch shared stories of the deep roots he still holds in his home state.
On multiple occasions, the stories drifted all the way back to his youth at Carl Albert High School, playing on the Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour.
Now at age 34, his OJGT days are well in the rearview, but he hasn’t forgotten them — and that’s why he has a constant pull to provide support for the tour and for Oklahoma’s junior golfers.
Which brings us to the dream that has been kicking around the back corners of Gooch’s brain for a while now.
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The Midwest City native and Oklahoma State All-American envisions building his own golf course in the Oklahoma City metro area someday. And not just a course.
“It’s definitely more in the dream phase than the reality phase, but it’s something that we’re having active talks about,” Gooch said. “The idea of having a golf course that I’m a part of in my home state is amazing.
“The dream is to build our own course and to have our own junior academy there. So there’s a lot of big dreams and ideas.”
Gooch made a brief stop in downtown Oklahoma City on Tuesday, fresh off a LIV tournament in Mexico City, to reveal the rebranding of his team. Previously known as Smash Golf, the team will now be called the Oklahoma Golf Club, or OKGC — which could eventually double as the name of his course as well.
His dreams for the course are bigger than just the junior golf element, but Gooch was clear as to the impact he could have on the OJGT through his own course.
He already has his name on an OJGT tournament played at John Conrad Golf Club in his hometown of Midwest City. And he suggested the idea of his future course hosting a duel between OJGT players and those from the Texas Junior Golf Tour.
Gooch even talked about the idea of having a player who came up on his same path, playing on the OJGT and then at a state university, one day joining him on his Oklahoma-based LIV team.
All of these ideas are borne out of the passion he has for his home state, and the value he gained playing OJGT events in his youth.
“I’m not the golfer I am without the OJGT,” Gooch said. “It’s part of why my foundation has supported the OJGT since the beginning of the foundation. I want to give as many kids another chance to become the next Talor Gooch, to play college golf, to get their school paid for, to potentially chase their dreams and become a professional golfer.
“Without the OJGT, without (tour founder) Morri Rose, without all the people involved in that, I’m not the golfer I am, and we’re not standing here right now.”
Regardless of what happens, Gooch’s support of junior golf in Oklahoma will assuredly continue, but having his own course would provide a more substantial vehicle for that passion.
“To make that dream become a reality,” Gooch said, “would be awesome.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Talor Gooch working toward dream of building golf course in Oklahoma