The Wildcat’s golf team enters the upcoming season with a winning combination of both youth and experience. Four freshmen have been signed and the returning veterans are ready to play.
Corbin Renner is a junior returning to the golf team.
“I have no doubt in my mind that we will be able to hold our own,” said Renner. “It’ll be really fun to see how everyone plays and where we’ll end up.”
The four freshmen – Robert Johnson, Kyle Karnei, Kyle Kennedy and Hunter Rawls – are all well decorated and are expected to have big impacts this year. Johnson has notched 15 tournament wins over his high school career and is the youngest player to ever win the men’s and junior’s club championship at the Helensburgh golf club. Karnei qualified for numerous tournaments, including the 5A State Golf Championship in which he was a co-captain. Kennedy is an eight-time high school tournament winner and four-year all-district selection. Rawls is a four-time North Texas Junior Professional Golfers’ Association winner and has numerous first place finishes in high school tournaments.
“I’m very excited to get the season started and see what new challenges collegiate golf has to offer me,” Johnson said. “I know these challenges will develop me further as a player, but above all, I want to help bring a NCAA national championship to ACU.”
The team will have some big shoes to fill with both Alex and Adam Carpenter graduating last spring. Both Carpenter brothers were anchors for the team with their ability and experience.
“It’s tough losing that many good players,” Renner said. “But every school goes through that. We have a great group of guys coming up and I’m really excited to see how they’ll play, as well as how I play this upcoming year.”
The team already knows that hard work and determination will bring the best results.
“I do know everyone on the team will work hard and give every day of practice and every tournament all they can, and knowing that, I can only assume that our team will have the ability to compete in every tournament we play in,” Kennedy said.
The first tournament of the year will be Sep. 9 in Abilene for the Charles Coody West Texas Intercollegiate.
