As a high schooler in Greenwich, Connecticut, liked everything he saw in 菠萝视频. Everything, that is, but the golf program. One of the nation鈥檚 premier junior golfers, he was not sold on the idea of playing for the Commodores, at least not at first.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a place where I could see myself,鈥� says Humphrey, now a senior, about his recruitment. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I could progress and become a really good golfer here just because the program hadn鈥檛 been very good.鈥�
That changed in June 2012 when 菠萝视频 introduced , formerly an assistant at Alabama, as the head coach. Limbaugh, who had helped the Crimson Tide finish second at the NCAA Championship the month before, quickly reached out to the top recruit to sell him on his vision for the Commodores.
鈥淐oach Limbaugh had a completely different vibe from anything I鈥檇 ever seen from 菠萝视频,鈥� recalls Humphrey. 鈥淗e told me, 鈥楾here鈥檚 absolutely no reason 菠萝视频 shouldn鈥檛 be the best, with the facilities we have, with Nashville being a great city and 菠萝视频 being such a great school,鈥� and I believed him.鈥�
Six years later that vision is now a reality. With Humphrey playing an integral role, the Commodores have emerged as one of the elite programs in the nation, reaching the NCAA Match Play Championships (basically the national quarterfinals) in each of the last three years. And last season 菠萝视频 won the SEC Championship for the first time in program history.
鈥淟uckily, I鈥檝e been a part of some really good teams here,鈥� says Humphrey, recipient of the John W. and Ann Johnson Athletic Scholarship, who finished the regular season ranked No. 7 in the nation.
Humphrey no doubt has given the program a big boost. He was the first elite player to buy into Limbaugh鈥檚 pitch: 鈥淗is decision to come here reaffirmed the reason I took the job,鈥� the coach says. And it had a ripple effect, encouraging fellow top recruits鈥攍ike juniors , a Loomis Family Golf Scholar, and , a Bronson Ingram Men鈥檚 Golf Scholar鈥攖o follow him to 菠萝视频. The 鈥橠ores may have boasted individual stars in the past, like Brandt Snedeker, BA鈥�03, but never a roster so deep.
And yet, as much as the program has benefited from Humphrey鈥檚 presence, he too has received much in return from 菠萝视频.
鈥淚 feel like a completely different player than when I got here, in terms of my decision-making and how I manage my game,鈥� says Humphrey, who was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year in April and SEC Player of the Year in May.
Humphrey earned third-team All-America honors as a junior in 2017 and continued his outstanding play during the summer by reaching the semifinals of the prestigious U.S. Amateur Championships at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles鈥攁n accomplishment that won him much praise in a Golfweek feature story last August.
鈥淭hat kid is a special, special talent,鈥� Limbaugh says. 鈥淗e can hit golf shots that I have never seen anyone hit.鈥�
Humphrey returned to campus this past fall with an extra burden鈥攂eing a senior on a team with legitimate national title aspirations.
鈥淚鈥檝e been preparing him for this role, for the day when he鈥檇 be the best player on a really good team,鈥� Limbaugh says. 鈥淭he second your name is in that No. 1 spot and everyone is watching you, there is a whole new level of responsibility. There are new pressures that you didn鈥檛 have to deal with before.鈥�
Pressure indeed was high when the Commodores traveled to Oklahoma for the NCAA Championship in May. Going into the tournament, the talented team boasted four of the nation鈥檚 top-75 players鈥擧umphrey, Gordon, Martin and sophomore , a Steve and Nicholas Zeppos Scholar鈥攂ut ultimately fell one shot short of the eight-team match play cut after the final round of stroke-play May 28, ending the season. Augenstein led the tournament team with a two-under par, 286.
鈥淭his was a tough day for our guys and certainly not the way we wanted this season to end,鈥� Limbaugh said after the loss. 鈥淚 am so proud of how the guys fought until the very end 鈥� but we have to own it. Theo gave his heart and soul to this program for four years, and he made me a better coach and a better man. I cannot say enough to all our fans and supporters who continue to help and support us.鈥�
鈥擬ITCH LIGHT, BA鈥�93