As a five-year-old growing up in England, Mike Blodgett used to hit old cars and animal cut-outs at a driving range.
Now, as a 20-year-old, the junior hits greens in regulation for the Penn men's golf team. And he's come a long way from the merry old home of tea and crumpets: On Sunday, he became the first golfer in Quakers history to win the Ivy individual championship.
"It's just been amazing," he said. "Just amazing."
For Blodgett, the championship is the culmination of 15 years of golfing. He's not quite sure what initially attracted him to golf - all he knows is that once he started swinging, he was hooked.
When the family moved from England to San Luis Obispo, Calif., (Blodgett lived the first four years of his life in Michigan) they bought a home on a golf course.
From there, Blodgett divided his time between tennis and golf, and he began playing both competitively when he was 11 years old.
"I almost thought I was a better tennis player than a golfer, but I hurt my shoulder when I was 12," he said. "I couldn't play tennis anymore and began to focus on golf and take it seriously."
Racquetless, Blodgett immersed himself at the local course, working at the pro shop and driving range and spending time with the "college-aged kids." He began competing in local tournaments and getting noticed.
But he was far from a natural.
"I was always a late-bloomer," Blodgett said. "I think I always had to work harder than most people. My game is built around my mental strength and analyzing my swing from a technical standpoint. I'm a consistent player."
All that hard work eventually paid off in high school. After a breakthrough season as a sophomore, Blodgett turned in a stellar junior year that drew attention from schools like Emory, George Washington, Boston University and Penn.
He wasn't bothered by the thought of heading to the East Coast. In fact, the prospect of traveling and living somewhere new was an attraction, and Blodgett said he never fit into the California lifestyle anyway.
"I didn't surf," he said.
One university from which Blodgett didn't get attention was Stanford, which was his dream school growing up.
"I always told my dad I'd play there," he said. "That would've been my ideal place to play."
His choice ultimately came down to GW and Penn. GW was especially attractive because Blodgett was interested in majoring in political science - GW's strength.
Eventually, Penn won out.
"I came to my senses in the end," Blodgett said. "I always loved Penn's campus from the minute I stepped foot on it.
"I can joke with my dad now, that I did him one better by going to Penn, a better academic institution than Stanford."
And Blodgett has thrived in Philadelphia. He was the Quakers' most consistent and best finisher this season. His game is predicated on accuracy, leading his teammates to call him - only half-jokingly - the straightest driver on the East Coast.
Assistant coach Chad Perman has worked closely with Blodgett this season, and said that his success is the result of a tireless work ethic off the course and a steely mental approach to the game.
Blodgett hopes that he can only improve for next year and bring the team title to Penn, along with a second individual one.
Even if that doesn't work out, Blodgett seems more excited by another honor: He will submatriculate into the Fels School of Government at Penn to complete a master's degree.
"It should be really cool, to take those graduate-level courses," he said. "I'm really excited."
The good news just keeps coming for Mike Blodgett.
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