GIJOBs

OCT 2017

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10 G.I. JOBS | OCTOBER 2017 | GIJOBS.COM "I jokingly say that at the Naval Academy, you either get mentally tough or you're not there very long," Hurley explains. "It is true in professional athletics as well. Grinding, just trying to make it, requires a lot of mental toughness…It also requires a great deal of mental toughness to be able to go out and execute on the field of play day in and day out." An All-State high school golfer in Virginia, Hurley cracked the Naval Acad- emy's starting lineup as a freshman and finished second in the Patriot League Championships. But he had his best season as a senior, beginning with a bang by shooting a 61 in the Naval Academy's fall tournament, one of the lowest scores ever recorded by a college player. Hurley went on to win six tournaments and was named 2004 Patriot League Player of the Year. Naval Academy Golf Coach Patrick Owen hasn't been surprised by Hurley's rise to the game's highest ranks, explaining he noticed early in Hurley's collegiate career his "ability to rise to the level of competition at which he plays." "Billy is a very accurate ball striker," says Owen, the Midshipmen's coach since 1991. "He has incredible hand-eye coordination. He hits the ball very straight and he has a terrific short game. His chipping, pitching and putting skills – all the shots from 100 yards in, he excels in." Upon graduating, Hurley was assigned to the USS Gettysburg, a destroyer then based in Jacksonville, Fla. He was given permission in the fall of 2004 to represent the U.S. in the Palmer Cup, an annual competition pit- ting the top American col- lege golfers against the top European university golfers. He also competed in the 2005 Walker Cup, an ama- teur competition between the U.S. and Great Britain/ Ireland, while assigned to the Naval Academy as an economics instructor. In 2006, he turned profes- sional and made the cut in two PGA Tour events. Hurley is grateful for the stretch during his military service when he could pursue golf as a part-time "second job," but his fond- est memories are from his two years aboard the Pearl Harbor-based USS Chung- Hoon, when "golf was shut down" and swing practice consisted of an occasional drive off the destroyer's flight deck during deployments to the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and South China Sea. "We did some real world stuff as far as the military was concerned," says Hurley, a Navy lieutenant who received two ship-driving awards during his naval career. "That is something I am happy I was able to be a part of." Hurley credits sea duty with honing his time manage- ment skills, which he says are a necessity on the PGA Tour, where "you can get pulled in so many different directions, and there's not enough time in the week to do everything you want to do." Hurley's victory at the Quicken Loans National propelled him to newfound celebrity, amplifying his pres- ence as the military veteran on the PGA Tour. "The PGA Tour as an organization, both players and staff, is very pro-military, but there's only one veteran who's there, and that's me. I have a unique place at the table," says Hur- ley, who this year finished near the top of Golf Digest's annual poll of "The Top 30 Nice Guys on the PGA Tour." Hurley has not shied away from controversial topics. When asked his opinion last year about then-San Francis- co 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the national anthem, Hurley expressed his support for Kaepernick's right to peaceful protest. Hurley has not wavered as more players follow in Kaepernick's foot- steps in 2017. "The great thing about our country is we have the First Amendment and that is what the military swears to defend, the Constitution of the United States," Hurley says. "That's part of our oath of office. That's totally their right. Do I think there is probably a better way for them to go about it? Yes, I do, but that's why we have a military that fights for freedom." Hurley's commitment to service also has remained central to his post-military life. Hurley says his goal is to use his influence to support "everyday service members," in part because he and his wife Heather know firsthand the challenges and lifestyle of a typical military family. In July, Hurley hosted the inaugural Billy Hurley III and the Brave Golf Tourna- ment at the Naval Academy's century-old course. The charity tournament hosted 18 active duty sailors who won raffles at East Coast Navy golf courses. Proceeds from the event supported the Anchor Scholarship Foundation, which provides college scholarships to sur- face warfare personnel fam- ily members, a junior golf scholarship and refurbish- ment of the Naval Academy Golf Course. In addition, Hurley and his wife are ac- tive in numerous faith-based and military charities as well as organizations focused on orphan care worldwide. During his five years on active duty, Hurley never lost sight of his goal of com- peting on the PGA Tour. His advice to those currently serving is to plan for their civilian careers while still in uniform. "Transition shouldn't really sneak up on us," he says. "One of the things my wife and I did pretty well is we knew we were going to transition out of the Navy to try to play golf. We had that plan so we took steps while we were on active duty to prepare ourselves. Start thinking about what's next before what's next is on your front door so you can make the steps to set yourself up for success." Favorites Favorite golf course? Quaker Ridge in Scarsdale, N.Y. Favorite teams? U.S. Naval Academy, Atlanta Braves and Washington Redskins Favorite book? The Bible Favorite food? Wife's cooking

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