14QUALIFYING ROUNDS
THE QUALIFYING
FOURTEEN ROUNDS
Fourteen qualifying rounds at five in the morning. Surprise courses, often with no warm-up. Five spots for the year. I finished in the top six.
University
NTUNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY
TWO YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES
Left at 18 to play and study in a country where I knew no one.
SAISON 2024 · NCAA DIVISION II
THE FALL SEASON
| TOURNAMENT | LOCATION | ROUNDS | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENMU-R HIGH COUNTRY SHOOTOUT | New Mexico | 71–67–74 | 212 |
| RJGA SOUTH CENTRAL SHOOTOUT | Mescalero, NM | 70–70–74 | 214 |
| RYAN PALMER INVITATIONAL | Amarillo, TX | 76–69–74 | 219 |
| OTTER INVITATIONAL | Seaside, CA | 74–76–76 | 226 |
| DENNIS ROSE INTERCOLLEGIATE | Kohala Coast, HI | 80–73 | 153 |
| SOUTHWEST AIRLINES HPU | Waikoloa, HI | 68–72 | 140 |
16 ROUNDS·1164 STROKES·AVERAGE 72,75·BEST ROUND 67 (−5)·5 STATES
Behind these numbers, here's how the season went.
−6AFTER TWO ROUNDS
THE TEST
SIX UNDER PAR
They sent me to play a tournament with the other freshmen. That was the real test. −1, then −5: six under par after two rounds. A +2 on the last day didn't change anything — the coach had made up his mind.
212BEST TOTAL OF THE SEASON
THE FIRST TOURNAMENT
FIRST OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT
ENMU-R High Country Shootout, my first college tournament: 71-67-74. The 67 would remain my best round of the season. Then the RJGA South Central Shootout, T8 after three rounds. The season was underway.
1BIRDIE
CALIFORNIA
ONE SHOT FOR HAWAII
I hadn't played well enough in Texas to earn the trip. The coach took me anyway. Bayonet, Seaside: three solid rounds in the fog, and a tee time with the number one and two in the country. On the last hole, I needed a birdie to push the team ahead of another in the standings. I made it. That shot sent me to Hawaii.
68FIRST ROUND, WAIKOLOA
HAWAII
WAIKOLOA BEACH
Two tournaments, two and a half weeks. The whole team's goal since September: you had to have played every tournament to go. Last tournament of the season, Waikoloa Beach: 68 then 72, best Mustangs score, even with par. I was three or four birdies short on the last round to win it. I learned what it felt like to be in contention, in my first season.
DIVISION I
ALABAMA A&M
Huntsville, Alabama · 2025
THE TRANSFER
I entered the transfer portal to pursue Division I. A few weeks later, Alabama A&M reached out. I signed, and arrived early in the summer to train with the team.
THE INJURY
First tournament was tough — the greens, the rough, everything. And I injured my arm. For weeks, not a single full swing. I missed every tournament after that.
THE LAST ONE
I came back for the last one of the fall, more or less at a hundred percent. The toughest course I'd ever played, with the fastest greens of my life.
TOP 3IN DIVISION I
SWAC FALL TOURNAMENT · ALABAMA A&M · FOUR STROKES BEHIND THE WINNER
It was my last competition.