Jake Owen was almost a pro golfer instead of a country star

Jake Owen is a chart-topping country star, but he almost had an entirely different career.

Growing up in Florida, Jake’s dad, Steve Owen, was a semifinalist in the U.S. Amateur, a golf tournament for amateur players. He passed that passion on to his son, who initially had plans to play professional golf.

“He was a great player and I always felt like as a kid I wanted to fulfill these dreams that my dad never got to fulfill,” he explains to John Rich.

But those dreams were dashed when Jake was injured in a wakeboarding accident that led to surgery on his shoulder and left him unable to play golf while attending Florida State University. After the accident, Jake learned guitar and eventually moved to Nashville, where he became a successful country singer with #1 hits like “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Homemade.”

Jake admits that as a kid, he quit activities a lot and believes his dad may have viewed him as a “quitter.” But he sees it from a new perspective now, telling people not to get discouraged if their interests change.

“I think it’s important for people out there to know that it’s OK to try things and if you don’t enjoy it, move onto something else,” he advises.