GOLF: Permian's Rodgers seals deal with Wranglers

Micah Rodgers still thinks big, even if the goal is somewhat different.

Rodgers hopes he took a step toward his new dream Wednesday by signing to play for the Odessa College men’s golf team.

The Permian High School senior announced last summer his intention to play for the Wranglers, just a couple of months after becoming the first Permian boys player in nine years to compete at the UIL Class 5A State Championships.

Not bad for a guy who didn’t make the decision to play golf on a full-time basis until just before his freshman year. Before then, his passion had been playing hockey.

“I could not imagine I would be signing a golf scholarship to the best junior college in the nation,” Rodgers said. “I never would have thought that. It always was my dream to play in the NHL, but now it’s a dream of mine to play on the PGA (Tour).”

Rodgers signed his letter at Champions Golf Center, which is the headquarters of OC head coach Paul Chavez’s programs.

Odessa College’s players were on hand for the event just days before opening their 2012 spring season in Aledo.

While there will be a learning curve for Rodgers when he joins the Wranglers in the fall, Chavez is excited about his potential.

“From high school to any level of college golf, you have to learn to manage the game better and your mental game will have to be a lot stronger, but he has the tools,” Chavez said. “Natural talent is hard to find and I think he’s going to have a leg up on a lot of guys. He’s a great talent and overall just a great kid and excellent student.”

Permian’s 2012 spring season gets under way later this month in Midland and Rodgers will be the leader for a team shooting for a fourth consecutive district team title.

Panthers head coach Shawn Mahan said that would be a first in program history.

“He’s got a chance to leave as one of the most decorated players in the history of our program,” Mahan said. “This has been a big load off his shoulders and he can just concentrate on golf. It’s kind of a clear-the-mind thing.”

Rodgers finished 45th in the Class 5A state field last season after qualifying in dramatic fashion.

Then a junior, he emerged from a four-man playoff at the Region I-5A Championships for the second and final medalist berth to the state tournament. The clincher was a storybook 40-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole that eliminated the last of his three foes in Lubbock for the trip to Austin.

He has every intention of trying to win that fourth consecutive district team title and earn another state berth.

“I want to go out there and play my heart out,” Rodgers said. “Every time I expect the best out of myself. Sometimes you don’t see the best and sometimes you see success. It’s just the work you put in. The more you practice, the luckier you get.”

That philosophy could come in handy for Rodgers at the next level.