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Mike Cruz couldn’t believe his luck. A recent convert to golf, the quality control technician from Chino won a spot on The Golf Channel’s rendition of “Extreme Makeover,” the show that remakes people into a dream version of themselves. A 29-year-old with all-American looks, Cruz certainly didn’t need a facelift. More finesse on the greens and better fashion sense about golf attire was what he desired. And that’s exactly what he got. After two months of shooting “The Golf Channel Makeover Challenge,” which aired over the summer, Cruz emerged with more stylish shorts and a savvier short game. “Even after the very first lesson I got, I was like, ‘Wow. Just wow,’” he said. “The average golfer doesn’t get these kinds of tips on their game that I was getting. After the second lesson, I was vastly improved.” The improvement wasn’t contained to his golf swing, as Cruz got fitted for clubs, outfitted for clothes and paired with a fitness trainer to learn about golf exercises. “It was just an amazing experience,” he said. “The best way to explain it is that I got to live the dream of being a tour pro for a short amount of time.” Cruz, who grew up in Brea and Whittier, was one of four people selected from among 3,500 applicants for the series. In its second season, the show featured one-hour episodes on each of the golfers. Cruz was paired with Michael Marcum, director of instruction at the golf school at Empire Lakes Golf Course in Rancho Cucamonga. “At first he had this big, long swing, and his legs were all over the place,” Marcum recalls. “So I tried to get him to hit slower and hit within himself. We focused really hard on getting him to shorten up his swing a little. We also worked a lot on his short game. He had a huge backswing for his chip shots, so he had no control.” A natural athlete who lettered in three sports in high school and excelled as a diver on his Riverside Community College team, Cruz recently has been stoked by skateboarding — and its attire. But the father of three knew he needed a more traditional wardrobe if he was to meet one of his goals: using golf as a way to connect with business clients. Enter Marty Hackel, the Golf Channel’s fashion maven, who had Cruz ditch his cutoff T-shirts for Polo shirts, khaki shorts and Nike golf shoes. Cruz entered the series with an average golf score in the mid-90s. But by the end of his televised transformation, he broke 90 while playing with some buddies. His next goal is breaking 80 by the end of the year. With Marcum’s continued help, Cruz sees good things ahead for his golf game. “It’s going to be awesome,” he said. |
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