Take a look back at life as a five-year-old. For many people, that was about the time their parents decided they were ready for organized sports. While several kids were being chauffeured to soccer or tee-ball practice every week, Joe Ida's case was a little different.

"I've been playing golf for a long time," said Ida, sophomore in pre-professional business administration and who is in his second year as a member of K-State's men's golf team. "My dad's a big golfer, and he really got me turned on to it when I was a little kid."

Coach Tim Norris echoed Ida's thoughts and said the bond Ida has with his father has helped make him the golfer he is today.

"Joe's dad is a very avid golfer," said Norris, who has coached Ida for the past two seasons. "They have a very healthy relationship golf-wise, and I'm sure that's been a big part of his success."

Ida, a native of Fort Scott, Kan., excelled as a golfer at Fort Scott High School. After placing seventh in the Class 4A state tournament his junior year, the four-year letterman captured the individual title as a senior. He said his experience helped him make the transition to college golf.

"My experience has definitely helped me a lot," he said. "It made the jump from high school to college much easier."

In his career as a Wildcat, Ida has had solid production on the golf course. His 2007-08 scoring average of 72.95 strokes per round is second only to fellow sophomore Mitchell Gregson (72.86). Ida boasts a team-leading four top-five finishes this season, highlighted by a career-best second-place finish in the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate on Oct. 29 -30, 2007.

He was named the Big 12 Golfer of the Month for October 2007, and his seven-under par 65 in the second round of the Pacific Invitational stands as the lowest par-72 score ever recorded by a Wildcat.

Senior Kyle Yonke said Ida has been the backbone of the team this season as well as a fun guy to be around.

"He's really been someone the team can rely on every single week," said Yonke. "I actually live with him, and the guy is hilarious. Nobody on the team ever takes him seriously."

Ida said the team is a really tight-knit group.

"I spend a lot of time with my teammates," he said. "We're all really good friends. When we're not competing, we like to just wind down and hang out."

However, Ida has been all business on the course. He has already established himself as one of K-State's greatest career golfers. He ranks in the top-10 in multiple single season categories, including scoring average (fourth) and tournaments played (fifth), and he is on pace to set records for many career categories, including tournaments played, rounds played and stroke average. He also made significant contributions to a 2007-08 squad that set team records for scoring average and top-five finishes. Norris said Ida's love for golf has led to his consistent success.

"He has a strong passion for the game," he said. "Sometimes, you go through periods where you're not playing very well, but that passion will help you to battle your way out of it."

Ida said even though he's been successful, he's doing what he can to improve.

"I worked with an instructor last summer," he said. "That really helped me to improve the physical aspects of my game."

Experience has been a big part of Ida's success throughout his entire career, and he said college is no different. He said his experience with the 2006-07 squad helped him to step up as a leader this season.

"I was lucky enough to play in every event last year," he said. "That really helped me out this season."

The Wildcats will also count on Ida's leadership when they compete in the NCAA West Regional on May 15-17 at the Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash.

Ida said he hopes to use this year's strong performance as a stepping stone for next season.

"Hopefully I can take what I've done this year and use it to improve my game in the future," he said.