It’s one of the most difficult feats in golf — shooting your age. Leo Luken has done it 815 times (and that number goes up all the time!), starting from the ripe old age of 71. Now 92, Luken says he’s driven from within. When he tries to shoot his age and misses the mark, he gets mad at himself and tries again until he reaches his goal!
Luken tells us that he knows others his age face challenges, but his philosophy is that once you get out of bed, you have no reason to keep moving.
One bonus about getting older? Luken says he gets a few extra bogeys to meet his goal every year, which helps him when he lands his ball in sand trap. Even with that, Luken is passionate about getting better with every round of golf.
He plays at least three days a week (limited more by cold weather than any health concerns!) against some of the best players in the country. In fact, he’s beating most of the guys on his own team — and they’re youngsters in their 70s!
Luken tells us how his wife of 68 years has made it possible for him to become a superstar, how dancing helped prepare him for the sport of golf and why he thinks getting a good night’s sleep is so important.
Check out our other conversations with Leo:
— December 6, 2008
— November 30, 2008
— April 8, 2007