He was once a 10-year-old schoolkid chasing Adam Scott’s signature yet Sunshine Coast product Jack Trent will tee it up in his maiden PGA TOUR event with his hero’s encouraging words fresh in his mind.

A junior at the University of Las Vegas – Scott’s alma mater where he was an All-American – Trent earned a place in the field for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open via his win at the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas in March.

That Scott is making his maiden appearance at the event is even more fortuitous for Trent who got to play a practice round on Tuesday with his hero.

“When I was 10 years old, he was playing in a tournament in Australia and I was there,” Trent told the UNLV Rebels website.

“I even asked for his signature on a hat as he was getting ready for a tee time.

“It was pretty cool and now I’m going to be playing with him.

“It has come full circle. It’s really an honour and something that I have been dreaming about for a long time.”

Like Scott, Trent was a former student of Matthew Flinders Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast before moving to Nevada with his family when he was 15 to further his golf career.

He joined TPC Summerlin – host course this week – and won two Nevada state titles while at high school before joining the golf program at UNLV that has also produced the likes of Ryan Moore, Chad Campbell and Charley Hoffman.

The enormity of playing in a PGA TOUR event didn’t hit Trent until a month ago and then came an unexpected phone call from his childhood hero.

“I was at the gym and I was working out when the call came,” Trent revealed.

“I normally would just dismiss it, but I answered and I was like, ‘Hey who is this?’

“He said it was Adam Scott and I was like, Oh wow! It was unexpected but really cool.

“He is a really cool guy.

“We went to the same high school, played the same home course and I am at the same college that he went to.

“He was my hero growing up so it is kind of surreal, but when I get to talk to him out on the course, I think it will start to sink in.”

Tied for 17th at last week’s Safeway Open after sharing the lead through the opening round, Scott is considered one of the players to beat this week.

The world No.17 is one of seven Australians in the field along with 2016 champion Rod Pampling, Aaron Baddeley, Cameron Percy, Cameron Smith and Matt Jones.