"It amazes me how he had this ability to connect with people."

Steve Hennessey at GolfDigest.com talks to friends and colleagues about Wesley Mensing, a fast rising star in the instruction world taken from us way too soon. Mensing was killed last weekend by an unlicensed driver.

Hennessey links to Mensing's February Golf Digest instruction piece as well and writes:

Golf had taken Wes all over the world. To an orphanage in northern Thailand, where he set up a golf camp. To Europe on a number of occasions to give private lessons to golfers he met at Doral.

But the Pittsburgh native, a graduate of Methodist University's PGM program, may have made his most profound impact in just a year in and around New Jersey. Shear calls Mensing's quick influence on golfers around the tri-state area "unlike anything I've seen anybody do."

Within a couple of months, Mensing had golfers at Plainfield -- some who hadn't taken a golf lesson in decades -- booking times with the pro. He worked with juniors, older players, male and female. Everybody wanted time with Wes.

"His ability to attract new people into the game is what our job is all about, and really what our game needs," Paris said. "It amazes me how he had this ability to connect with people."