Gunner, I think many of the same external challenges would exist for a young golfer to commit... is it the right fit from a school standpoint, right major, size, academic level, distance from home, etc. And those are very important.
However, I think we are talking apples and oranges with regard to the sport specifically. A polished young golfer who shows good course management and the ability to handle pressure at big events is a much safer bet to be a top performer five, six, seven years later. He won't have grown men throwing the golf ball at him 94mph with movement to see if he can still hit it 