Justin Carpenter '17 Recruiting Profile

     I would love the opportunity to continue my education, both academically and athletically, while having the experience of college life.  I value friends, being on a team, and educational growth on a daily basis.

     My road to college golf has been different than most.  I didn't start playing until I was 16. I actually grew up playing competitive soccer in Western Canada.  I played 6 days per week, 11 months per year from the time I was 7 years old.  There wasn't a lot of time for other activities because premier soccer took up all of my time.  I got to be part of a team that won a National Championship which was a highlight!   My interest in soccer started to change when it became more apparent that too much of a players "success" was based on just wins or losses, rather than how an individual played.  I could personally have a "bad" game and the team would win and I'd get praise.  Or I could have a "great" game and the team wold lose and I'd be reprimanded.  This didn't really fit with what I believe. 

       Around this time, I'd started getting more and more into golf.  I quickly realized how much I loved the way a player was evaluated.  You put up a score and that was that.  No opinions, no one else to blame or take credit for your effort.

       My dad introduced me to the game.  He actually played  professionally for 10 years on mini tours, PGA Tour Canada, and the Web.com Tour.   I loved that golf was something that we could do together.  I also loved how quickly I was improving.  By the end of my first season I was consistently scoring 85.  I was completely hooked!  After my second full season of playing, I was consistently shooting mid 70's on courses rated 72-74 and I shot my low round of 68!  I finished my third season with an index of +.3.  

       Up to that point, I'd played almost all of my golf with professional and plus handicap golfers.  I feel like I've avoided some of the potential mistakes that new players fall into because there was always someone there to keep me on track.   And I got the chance to see how the game was supposed to be played at a high level.   This was invaluable and fueled my competitive spirit. 

        I started playing tournament golf at the beginning of my third year.  My competitive average for the season for 18 rounds was 75.05 and my low score was 69.  I love the pressure and the fact that my score represents my own effort. 

       I decided I wanted to go to college in the United States and play golf year-round.  I received a golf scholarship at Allen Community College in Iola Kansas.    My goal was to be at Allen for one year and then move into a 4 year program in a div 1 or 2 school. 

    I'm enjoying my academic experience at Allen and currently have a GPA of 3.5.  My intention is to play in the five scheduled events we have this spring and in at least six other tournaments this summer in Alberta. 

    I'm interested in talking to coaches about their programs and learning anything I can to further my academic and athletic future.