Every summer around this time – you know when it’s hotter than hell, another fun-filled school year is just around the corner and baseball is starting to become even more boring – something sparks up inside me and I am overcome with a rush of excitement that I just can’t explain.

That excitement is for golf. I don’t know if it was the hole-in-one I had when I was 11, or if it was the hole-in-one I had when I was 16, or if it is something else altogether, but my passion for this sport sits forgotten in my mind until July is in full swing.

First of all, I’m addicted to the sport itself. It is unlike any other sport in that you are competing against yourself.

It is a game of honesty and integrity and most importantly, it is a mental game as much if not more than it is a physical game.

I began playing golf when I was nine and I’ve been in love with it ever since. My so-called natural swing that my dad claims I have hasn’t really gotten me anywhere except that I’m the best golfer in my family, which isn’t saying much.

I’ve won a few dollars off of some old guys, then again I’ve lost a few dollars along the way as well. And those aforementioned holes-in-one did take place, but all that really says is that I’m a lucky bastard.

I started working around golf about five years ago, shortly after Tiger-mania was in full effect. And I’ve been amazed at how one man can completely turn a sport upside down – or in this case, right side up.

Not only is golf being watched more than ever before, it is the fastest growing sport among young kids. In junior golf programs that I’ve been involved with, I’ve seen it go from groups of 30 kids to groups of 70.

And they all have their Nike golf balls and Tiger head covers.

But Tiger’s dominance on the PGA Tour has led many true golf fans to dislike him and it angers them to see him winning nearly every major.

In fact I was one of those people.

But my outlook on Tiger and professional golf changed a few weeks ago when I caught the final round of the U.S. Senior Open.

The tournament came down to a playoff between eventual champion Don Pooley and Tom Watson. Usually, I could care less about the senior tour, but having the opportunity to watch Watson compete at this high of a level really made me think.

Watson was one of the elite golfers on the tour back when Jack Nicklaus was dominating in the 80s. Nicklaus and others shared some epic battles with Watson and he is considered one of the best of his time.

But I wasn’t quite old enough or interested enough back when these men were in their prime so seeing this amazing competitive side of Watson almost brought a tear to my eye.

And I realized that though I wasn’t around to witness Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer and company bringing golf into the mainstream, I am here to witness the next wave of golf history.

Tiger Woods.

When I’m golfing with my grand kids someday, they will be asking me about Tiger and I will be able tell the stories of how this man was more dominant in golf than most major sports figures will ever be in their respective sports.

So now, even though I’m definitely rooting for Phil Mickelson to win his first major, something inside me is hoping that Tiger gets his grand slam (four majors in one year).

He has already won the Masters and the U.S. Open and this week will go for the British Open.

Rumor has it that this is the hardest British Open course ever. But then again Beth Page Black was supposed to be the hardest U.S. Open course ever and Tiger was the only person who finished under par.

What sets the British Open apart from any other major is that the courses require a different and unique style of golf.

This year’s course, Muirfield, proves once again with its long rough and tight fairways that the difference between a birdie and a triple-bogey is just a couple of inches.

So if you’re flipping through the channels and come across the British Open, give it a try. And if Tiger is in the lead, don’t get upset. Just remember that you are witnessing history.

Meanwhile, I’m still looking for that third hole-in-one and a few more bucks from those old retired doctors who think I’m just some kid.

Kyle Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale. He hopes to someday win the British Open.