Introduced to golf by his father.

An expert skier who earned spending money during college by being a ski instructor.

Student of martial arts, which helps his flexibility in the golf swing.

First-team All-America in 1995 at University of California, posting the third-lowest stroke average among collegians that season behind Tiger Woods and Stewart Cink.

Won the 1990 California State Amateur at age 17 (second-youngest to accomplish that feat) and the 1995 Southern California Amateur.