Opportunity was knocking for more than 60 junior golfers at Tangle Creek Golf Club yesterday, as they had the chance to play in front of a number of coaches from various U.S. Division I, II and III schools at the inaugural Junior Golf Showcase hosted by University Prospects.
Barrie's Nolan Knill was one of those attempting to make an impression on the coaches. It's long been a dream of his to get a scholarship to play golf in the United States, so to have the coaches all be in one spot at the same time was a chance he wasn't going to pass on.
"There's not many tournaments like this where they all can come out and drive around and watch us like this," the 18-year-old Bear Creek student said. "It's a good opportunity for all of us to show what we can do. Being in Canada, they don't really come up that often, so it's good to have a bunch of coaches here.
You usually might see one or two at the bigger tournaments, but to have 15 or 20 here, it's great. I'm just excited to get the chance."
Not only was the exposure good for the players, the coaches were quite happy for the chance to get another look at they young hopefuls, or, in some cases, a first look. Kari Sampson, an assistant coach with the men's and women's team at Washington State, liked what she saw during the tournament.
"It seems like there's a really strong field on the men's side," Sampson said. "I think there are some really good players out there. This is definitely one of our favourite provinces to come to because there are a lot of golfers. The women's side is pretty sparse, but I think that's just because it's the first year."
Knill was confident he was one of those who were making a good impression with the coaches. Playing on his home course was a bit of an advantage, and he was hoping the coaches caught a glimpse of a few of his better shots.
"Except for one shot I think I've had a pretty good day," he said shortly after starting his back nine. "I've made a couple good shots in front of them, so I'm pretty proud of the way I'm playing right now. Hopefully I'll have an even better back nine."
Lincoln Memorial University coach Troy Evans-Muncy was another coach keeping his eyes on the players. He was watching for their ability to work their way around the golf course and keeping their scores as low as possible.
"Once I see their finals scores that will be a good judgment, and I'm watching swing and simple mechanics and stuff like that," he said. "You don't get to see a whole lot of them because you're bouncing around from hole to hole, but you'll find a swing that catches your eye and move on from there."
Although there are no spots open on either the men's or the women's team at Washington State for the upcoming season, Sampson was able to get a read on some of the younger players for a couple seasons down the road.
She was confident, though, that the other coaches would be able to find players who could step into their programs.
"We've already singed everybody for next year, so due to NCAA rules we're not allowed to talk to anyone until July," she said. "But I definitely think this is a great avenue for other coaches to be able to talk with players if they are looking for some last-minute signings."Labels: academy awards, career training, education online, financial aid, free college, free education, high school, scholarship, student loans, study abroad |
