The Next Shot; Shintaro Ban's (Paused) Path to Pro

April 23, 2020 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Shintaro Ban is ready to get back out there

The former UNLV star was headed for the PGA Tour Series China - then on Feb. 13 the Tour was cancelled as COVID-19 hit

Top PGA Tour stars are busy making plans to return to action at Colonial, whiling away the hours working in home gyms, hitting into simulators, and catching up on quality family time.

And while it's true that even the multi-million dollar winners are technically out of work, it's hard for most of us to relate. In fairness, many of these players are helping relief efforts in meaningful ways, while keeping us entertained with their more "casual" sides.

Now head down the money list to those struggling to keep their cards, and earn a position in the majors -- all compressed into a short span of time in the fall. You can imagine reading emails from the Tour, listening in on conference calls, and figuring out the where/when/how of competing in the new normal, all while trying to keep physically fit and "tournament ready".

We've heard it many times - a pro saying they need to shake the rust off. Get more reps. It's going to be interesting to see how they play in Ft. Worth. (Our guess? The birdies will flow freely, maybe even more so from the pent-up demand.)

Now, onto the next level. The young pro working his or her way up the ladder and trying to figure out what to do when the first leg of that journey gets knocked out from underneath them. Shintaro Ban is one of those players. The Team Callaway member has got plenty of game, and the work ethic to get up early every day and work out with his trainer, just like he did when attending UNLV. (It's the same trainer which is nice.)

If you haven't noticed by now, Callaway Golf is a major media company. Their focus is making the best equipment they can. They do that while inspiring us through great storytelling on weekly podcasts, web broadcasts, live streams - you name it. We really enjoy the inside looks at their Team Callaway stars, as well as athletes and celebrities from other sports and professions for whom golf is the sweetest of addictions.

The Carlsbad, California company's latest media endeavor is "The Next Shot" and today we're focusing on the episode with upstart pro Shintaro Ban. We've known Shintaro from his days winning the San Francisco City Championship (2014) to his run at the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach, and qualifying as an amateur for the U.S. Open earlier that year. He was named NCAA All America in 2018 -- what a year!

After you watch "Shin" at work, you might just put down that bag of chips and pick up the dumbbells. Maybe.

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