Ian Poulter won’t have to go far to check on his star apprentice.
Sam Horsfield, 17, of Davenport, Fla., announced this weekend that he has given a verbal commitment to the University of Florida.
Horsfield, who last year won the Florida Amateur by 11 shots and became the youngest champion in 96 years, is the 15th-ranked amateur in the world. He is also No. 3 in the Class of 2015.
Verbally committed today to become a florida gator! pic.twitter.com/UW0rM0L9wx
— Sam Horsfield (@hr59sam) March 29, 2014
As for his connection to Poulter, Horsfield has played several practice rounds with the Lake Nona resident. When his fellow Englishman shot 61 in a U.S. Amateur Public Links qualifier, Poulter tweeted to his 1.6 million followers: “I told you all @HR59Sam is the real deal. He would embarrass every English Amateur in the world by a mile.”
Earlier this year, Horsfield won the New Year’s Invitational. In 2013, he reached the Round of 16 at the U.S. Publinx and tied for fourth at the Dixie Amateur.