John Merrick (golfer) John Merrick (golfer) John Sampson Merrick (born March 20, 1982) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Merrick was born and raised in Long Beach, California. He grew up playing Recreation Park municipal golf course, a classic layout by William F. Bell. He attended Wilson Classical High School where he won the Moore League High School Championship. Merrick won the Southern California Golf Association Amateur Championship when he was only 19 years old, making him the youngest person since Tiger Woods in 1994 to capture that title. In 2003, he medaled at the Pac-10 Men's Golf
Tiger Woods Woods' niece, Cheyenne Woods, played for the Wake Forest University golf team and turned professional in 2012, when she made her pro debut in the LPGA Championship. Woods grew up in Orange County, California. He was a child prodigy who was introduced to golf before the age of two by his athletic father, Earl Woods. Earl was a single-digit handicap amateur golfer who also was one of the earliest African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University. Tiger's father was a member of the military and had playing privileges at the Navy golf course beside the Joint Forces Training Base