DC United soccer player Freddy Adu is America’s youngest futbol phenomenon and doesn’t plan to stop there. The 15-year-old star is shooting for a different goal—golf.
“Some of my friends introduced me to [golf],” Adu told the Washington Post. “…I took a couple of swings, they taught me the right form and everything, and then the first hole I ever played, I parred it. It was amazing!”
Adu was born in Tema, Ghana and settled in Washington, D.C. with his mother, father and younger brother in 1997.In 2003 he signed a six-year contract to play for the major league soccer team DC United.Although busily preparing for the DC United 2005 season, like so many other athletes in team sports, Adu felt the need to redirect his attention to golf, a sport he learned at the age of 10.
“I just love how peaceful it is out there, but also how much you have to concentrate,” Adu said. “It plays games with your mind and it helps you focus more, too. I love the aspect of it. Its like you’re playing against yourself,” the Washington Post reported of Adu.
At just 14-years-old Adu was major league soccer’s highest paid, earning $500,000. Adu hopes to become the first African to conquer both soccer and golf.