Jared Smith’s golf journey currently includes caddying at prestigious Augusta National, home of the The Masters. It also including winning the 2022 Southern Nevada Golf Association Tournament of Champions and aspirations of playing professionally. Here’s how it all started with junior golf. –By Brian Hurlburt
“When I was introduced to the game of golf in the very beginning, before I joined junior golf, it was just a game,” Smith said. “But when I joined junior golf, such as the First Tee of Southern Nevada and also the SNJGA, and it helped me understand that there’s more to golf than just the game. It’s the best sport out there because the mentality, the stamina and the respect that it takes. My coaches in the past have taught me that like Jim Hart, for example, who got me interested in the game. And that’s what kind of defined my experience in junior golf, because when I was introduced to that aspect of it, that’s what motivated me to keep getting better because it helps out in life as well. I figured that if I could get great at the game of golf then it would help me in everything that I do in my daily life.”
He had some help along the way and his hard-working nature is a main reason why.
“Jared is a just a hard-working, respectful young man and that is why people have wanted to help him,” said Eric Dutt, himself a former SNJGA member some five decades ago. He now is Reflection Bay director of operations and a Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame member. “He is a nice young man and he deserves every opportunity he gets because he has earned it. When I was a young player, there were people in the Las Vegas golf community who helped me when they didn’t have to and that is why I try and give back and help people like Jared. It’s not easy to become a caddie at Augusta National, so that should tell you right there the type of person he is.”
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