Wes McNulty played in his first Arkansas State Golf Association Championship in 1988 when he was 19 years old.
Six state championships, six player of the year titles and 28 years later, McNulty, 47, will join his son Jake and 58 other amateurs today in the first round of the ASGA's premier event at Hot Springs Country Club. McNulty said he can't help but keep an eye on his 19-year-old son, although he also knows he's going to have to watch for a bevy of 2o-somethings good enough to walk away Sunday with the state championship.
At a glance
WHAT Arkansas State Golf Association Championship
WHERE Hot Springs Country Club
WHEN Today-Sunday
WHO 116 golfers in Amateur, Senior, Mid-Senior and Super Senior divisions
DEFENDING CHAMPION Austin Eoff (won in playoff with Bryon Shumate and Seth Garner
"It's strange for me to have my own son here and a coincidence he's at the age I was when I played in my first one," McNulty said. "I do know this is a great field with a lot of younger players that are playing very well right now."
Among the field is defending champion Austin Eoff of Benton, who will begin his senior season at Purdue University in the fall. Despite a third-round 77 last year at the Country Club of Little Rock, Eoff, 21, defeated 2014 champion Seth Garner of Hot Springs and Bryon Shumate of Fort Smith in a playoff. He's also coming off a five-stroke victory over McNulty last weekend at the Eagle Hill Golf and Athletic Club Championship, and he thinks his familiarity with Hot Springs Country Club should be an advantage.
"I like it out there. I've probably played it 1,000 times," Eoff said. "I feel like if the greens aren't fast and if I hit my driver really well, I'll be in good shape because some of the holes set up really well for my game. Some of the par-5's ... are like par-4's to me, so my putter will be very key."
Although Eoff had his number at Eagle Hill and in 2015 at the Pine Bluff Country Club stroke-play event, McNulty took the bigger prize to end last year, winning the ASGA Match Play Championship 2 up over Eoff at Mystic Creek Golf Club in El Dorado. That victory helped McNulty earn his sixth player of the year title and 11th state title.
McNulty said he is impressed by Eoff and many of the other collegiate players who will be licking their chops at HSCC this weekend.
"One thing about Hot Springs Country Club is local knowledge goes a long way, and I have been fortunate to play a lot of golf out there the last decade," he said. "Length isn't necessarily a huge advantage. Not only do these guys hit it far better these days, they hit it straighter."
Included in the field is a younger mix such as Garner, who recently graduated from Arkansas State, as well as a strong contingent from Henderson State in 2013 ASGA Player of the Year Drew Greenwood, Brice Howard and Price Murphree, ASU's Matthew Cole, and UALR's Tyler Reynolds.
McNulty said despite the young guns playing more competitive rounds recently, don't count out his longtime friend and adversary Chris Jenkins.
"Chris plays Hot Springs Country Club very well," McNulty said. "One thing about Chris is he knows how to get the ball in the hole, and he's always going to be there when it's all said and done."
Sports on 06/17/2016