Friday, March 15, 2013

Freshman Keegan English uniquely introduces his Stanford teammates

Freshman Keegan English

This fall was unreal. I showed up to campus as a normal student and now am a member of the best golf program in the country, arguable only to outsiders who don’t know the essence of Stanford golf. Not only do we have an incredible golf course and practice facility, but we also have great coaches, a great supporting staff, and most importantly, great team chemistry. And let me tell you, these guys are good. Behind every stat, every national ranking, every 61 lies thousands of hours of hard work and an insatiable appetite to be the best. It’s a pleasure to be a small part of this program and witness greatness every day.
One thing that gets lost between the scores and the news articles, however, is each player’s personality. All my teammates are fantastic golfers – everyone knows that – but you don’t truly know them until you ride with them to a tournament, wise-cracking, impersonating, and debating politics the whole way. Seeing that I have been on this ride, I’m going to take the liberty of reintroducing my teammates.

David Boote (Fr.)
            Nickname: Booter
Unknown Facts: Says “Cheers” instead of “Thank you” after hitting a good shot; Allergic to everything; Irresistible accent according to multiple Stanford women
            Golf: He never bogeys
Dominick Francks (Fr.)
            Nickname: Dom
Unknown Facts: Can throw down a basketball; Secret Sci-Fi fan; Scary high SAT score
            Golf: Deep, very deep
Patrick Grimes (So.)
            Nickname: Grimey Dude
Unknown Facts: Has spot on impressions of everyone; Can quote any movie; Stand up comedy potential
            Golf: Delectable Short Game
Patrick Rodgers (So.)
            Nickname: Rodg
            Unknown Facts: Good basketball player; Huge Colts/Andrew Luck fan; Almost married
            Golf: PGA Tour
 Shane Lebow (Jr.)
            Nickname: Lebow
Unknown Facts: Buys every new golf gadget; Loves Grimes’s swing; Caught between saving the environment and playing pristine golf courses 
            Golf: Bunker-wiz, Mr. Consistent
Cameron Wilson (Jr.)
            Nickname: Cam
Unknown Facts: Loves politics; Reads the paper and editorials online every morning; Will win 5 straight Tour events after getting sponsors exemptions
            Golf: Silky, Picturesque
Steven Kearney (Sr.)
            Nickname: Kearn Dog
            Unknown Facts: Smooth talker with the ladies; Has oft impersonated golf routines
            Golf: “Fairways and Greens, Baby!”
Andre De Decker (Sr.)
            Nickname: Decks
            Unknown Facts: Fantastic South African accent; Most interesting man in the world 
            Golf: Scrambles like Seve
Andrew Yun (Sr.)
            Nickname: Yunner
Unknown Facts: Played well at Q-school this fall; Tells everyone he majors in Sociology with a minor in Quantum Mechanics; Great impersonator
            Golf: Nasty short game (Nasty being the ultimate compliment)
Wilson Bowen (Super Sr.)
            Nickname: The President of Stanford Golf                
Unknown Facts: Super smart; Landed tech-focused investment banking job with Morgan Stanley
            Golf: Ball striker, Thrives in the elements

The team is a bunch of ordinary guys doing extraordinary things, supporting and encouraging one another on the road to the National Championship. I am honored to be part of the heritage of Stanford Golf and am blessed to have this unique opportunity.

Keegan English (’16)