Troy Watson (SR/Coffeyville, Kan.)'s final golf tournament at Kansas Wesleyan was symbolic of his senior season and five-year career with the Coyotes.
Watson shot a 5-over-par 289 (75-68-72-74) and finished seventh in the NAIA Men's Golf Championship last week at TPC Deere Run golf course in Silvis, Ill. His performance earned him NAIA First Team All-America and All-Tournament Team honors.
The recognition caps a sensational senior year that saw him win the Kansas Conference Championship by four strokes and earn conference Player of the Year honors.
"Anytime you get top 10 in a national tournament it's a great honor and means you played really well," Watson said. "In golf if you're competitive you always think back to a few strokes, and you could have finished higher but there's nothing you can do about it.
"Seventh place finish and getting All-American was just a great award – I didn't know if I'd get that or not. It was kind of like a cherry on top to get that."
The seventh-place finish was a dramatic improvement over 2019 when Watson finished 76th in the NAIA Tournament in Mesa, Ariz. Watson's coach and former teammate Coleman Houk said he was at his best during the event that concluded Friday.
"I've never seen Troy more ready to play a tournament," said Houk, who was named the KCAC Coach of the Year. "That's the best I've seen him strike the ball in five years. He was ready to go and proved it with his scores. He's the kind of guy who's going to be upset if he didn't win the tournament but anytime you're top 10 in a field like that it's pretty special."
Watson prevailed despite non-stop wind and rain and an onslaught of mosquitos.
"I had my bug spray on and that was good," he said. "The rain affects how far the ball travels and a few shots I got caught up in that and cost me a bogey."
"Watching him play if you didn't know what the weather was you couldn't tell if it fazed him. He just did his normal thing," Houk said.
Strong iron play buoyed Watson throughout the tournament.
"I only followed him for about 20 of the 72 holes but it seemed every single hole I watched he was within 20 feet of the hole which on a normal course is great," Houk said. "But on a course like that where he's hitting anywhere from a 7-iron to a 4-iron on just about every green, that's really impressive."
"My ball striking was great, it was the best it was all year, and I just gave myself a chance at birdies, but the putts just weren't rolling in," Watson said. "That's the way golf goes."
Watson said he'll play in several tournaments in the coming months with hopes of continuing his career on a professional level.
"The plan right now is to try and make some money and play in golf tournaments that boost your amateur ranking," he said. "The higher up you get the more attractive you become for sponsors. If I can get better I'd like to continue golf."
Houk has little doubt he'll succeed after watching him handle a course that is an annual stop for the PGA Tour – John Deere Classic.
"It tells me he can do it and he knows he can do it," he said. "Some little things he's going to tighten up, but he could have a great future in golf."