College Golf Players Portraits

UNDATED PHOTO: UCLA golfer John Poucher tees off, 2004 near Los Angeles, California. In 2003, the UCLA Bruins were Pac-10 champions and were regarded as one of the top three teams in the nation. Poucher and his teammates stick to a strick fitness regime. Though his game has fallen off somewhat this season, he believes nonetheless that the fitness regime is what powered his team to the top in 2003. When golf's new young pros start hitting the big courses in a year or so, even the slim, fit Tiger Woods will be looking warily over his shoulder. For the new generation of golfers who are graduating from college and NCAA tournaments about now, it's all about physical fitness and training to get that swing speed up and develop and improve consistency. To this end, these budding pros are cross training like crazy and can be seen not only practicing their swings but running cross-country and sweating it out in the weight room. Overall fitness, they believe, also helps them concentrate more on their game. The body will simply execute the moves the mind tells it too - no stress, no strain. The trend that Tiger and Annika Sorenstam began when they turned pro not even a decade ago, is being taken to the limits now, producing a whole new genre of competitive athletes who also are attracted to what may be the only sport with paydays potentially into their 70's. (Photo by Joe McNally/Getty Images)