La Jolla Country Day School senior Anthony Paolucci is about to realize one of his life-long dreams. Paolucci was granted a sponsor’s exemption to compete in the Farmers Insurance Open at the Torrey Pines Golf Course beginning Jan. 27. “I’ve worked at it for a while and it’s going to be pretty special to play my first pro event in San Diego where I live,” Paolucci said. “I’m going to try and just enjoy the tournament, but I hope to play good as well.” After a terrific 2010 in which he was named San Diego’s best high school golfer and a subsequent summer in which he competed in prestigious junior tournaments all over the country (and few internationally), Paolucci was given the exemption by the PGA Tour. Sponsor’s exemptions are rarely given to amateur players. Paolucci said ball striking is his game’s strength but he has been working the hardest on his short game, an area in which he still needs improvement. His drive regularly tops out at a whopping 300 yards. He said the hardest part about playing on such a big stage with the world’s greatest golfers will be keeping his nerves in check. For that reason he’s going to use a tour caddy to help keep him calm. “If I play well, then great. But if I don’t play well, then life still goes on and you learn from it,” he said. “I’m trying to really minimize the pressure and expectations and just go out there and hit as many good shots as I can, try to make a couple putts and hopefully put together some good scores.” Paolucci got his first set of golf clubs (albeit plastic ones) when he was 18 months old and he started playing competitively at the age of six or seven. His father, Michael, was a college level golfer and has provided much of the ground work for his son’s rise in the sport. “I’ve been really fortunate over the years with having good coaches and playing well at the right time,” Paolucci said. “It’s a lot of hard work but you’ve got to get some breaks along the way too.” With a couple of breaks and some good shots, Paolucci could find himself making the cut at Torrey Pines and competing on the weekend with the likes of local legend Phil Mickelson. The high school golfer said his home course is The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, where Mickelson often plays. “I played with Mickelson the other day. I know him a little bit,” Paolucci said. Although his goal is to someday play golf for a living on the PGA Tour, for now Paolucci is content hanging out with friends the last few months of his high school career. Next year, it’s off to the University of Southern California, where he will compete for the Trojans’ golf team.