McGovern was born in Teaneck, New Jersey.Dorman, Larry. "Golf; McGovern Gets Comfort Of Home and a Lead", The New York Times, March 10, 1995. Accessed February 16, 2011. "So it was fitting today that Jim McGovern, born in Teaneck and raised in Oradell, where he lives now, strolled around the grounds here with one of the biggest galleries and shot the lowest number in the first round of the Honda Classic." He grew up in Oradell, New Jersey in a house adjoining the Hackensack Golf Club.Friend, Tom. "Golf; You Can't Take the Hackensack Out of This Guy", The New York Times, February 28, 1993. Accessed February 16, 2011. "He grew up in Oradell, N.J., in a house literally adjacent to the fourth green at Hackensack Golf Club. I remember once finding a stray ball in the upstairs bathroom, he said." McGovern attended Bergen Catholic High School and was a star football player there. However, a coach introduced him to golf during his junior year.Brown, Clifton. "Golf; A Former Rising Star Hopes to Rise Again", The New York Times, December 18, 1999. Accessed February 16, 2011. "When Jim McGovern was an all-state tight end at Bergen Catholic High School, few people would have predicted that he would become a professional golfer. He didn't start playing golf seriously until 11th grade."
