ACU golf may have just finished its fall season, but is already looking forward to next year. Clarke Hudgins, a standout senior from Amarillo, recently signed his National Letter of Intent to join the Wildcats in the fall of 2014.
Hudgins, who has put up impressive statistics in his career at Amarillo High School, has a long list of accomplishments preceding his commitment to ACU. As a sophomore, he won the 2012 UIL District 2-5A Championship and Amarillo Relays. He is ranked second in the state for Class 4A by High School Golf Scoreboard. In April of 2012, the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce named him Player of the Month.
After an impressive sophomore season, Amarillo Globe News named him Athlete of the Week twice, as well as Boys’ Golf Athlete of the Year. He also has an impressive record of American Junior Golf Association showings, with three top-10 finishes in AJGA events. While at AHS, Hudgins helped his team win three district championships, and last year was a key player last year when his team was only one stroke shy of qualifying for state in Class 4A. He has had an impressive senior season with an average of 71.2 strokes per game.
It is fortuitous the Wildcats recognized the talent of Hudgins, as he had actually been looking at the university since his freshman year of high school. While at an AJGA tournament in Abilene in 2011, he came to ACU for a quick visit and loved the small campus with the big-community feel.
Hudgins brings a lot to the table, including a competitive athletic mentality on top of his golf skills. According to coach Mike Campbell, he is a good striker with a strong short game, which will be an advantage for ACU in the upcoming 2014 season.
“I know that Clarke will fit in great here at ACU and will be a solid Div. 1 player,” said coach Campbell. “His strengths are his ball striking and his consistency. He is also a very tough competitor.”
Though only two seniors, Trey Sullivan and Ian Evans, are leaving the golf team next year, there will be a significant gap left by the two team leaders that Hudgins will be helping to fill.
“The freshman class next year will really have to fill different roles, but the freshmen that we had this year have definitely stepped up, so I think we’ll be fine,” said junior Corbin Renner.
Hudgins will be studying business management at ACU. As a 2013 National Honor Society member, AJGA HP Scholastic Honor Roll member and two-time UIL District 2-5A All-Academic team selection, he will brings strong academics to our university in addition to his athleticism.
His father, Kent, golfed at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and his grandfather, Don Williams, went to ACU from 1947-48.
