Michigan State University Athletics
Andrew Walker Looking to the Future
4/10/2020 3:09:00 PM | Men's Golf
By Dervon Thompson
For MSUSpartans.com
From the U.S. Amateur to state championships to injury-filled seasons, Michigan State men's golf senior Andrew Walker has a career full of highs and lows, and remains eager for what the future holds.
Walker had a putter put in his hand at the age of three. He would tag along with his father and brother in the spring and summer to sharpen his golf skills. They played multiple rounds of golf a day, and Walker was striving to beat his dad from an early age.
"My dad, at the time, was a very good golfer and he had a solid golf game," Walker said. "That was one of the goals that drove me."
Walker had many goals in mind in his early teens, with progressing and becoming better at golf being his top priority. He had no clue that he would become the fifth-youngest player and youngest African-American to qualify for the U.S Amateur at age 14.
"At the time, it wasn't a specific goal of mine. I don't think I realized how important the U.S Amateur was, it was one of those big crazy things where it'd be great to achieve that," Walker said.
Entering high school with the well-deserved confidence and experience from playing in the U.S Amateur, he went on to have very successful high school career. He won the team state championship his freshman year with Battle Creek Lakeview high school, two individual state championships his junior and senior seasons and won Mr. Golf as a sophomore, junior and senior.
He was highly recruited throughout his high school career, and Walker chose to MSU.
"MSU's atmosphere was unrivaled in my mind when it came to the different places I visited," Walker said. "I really enjoyed the sense of family that I felt."
After years of winning and reaping the benefits of success, Walker entered his freshman year of college with a back injury. Pushing through bad mechanics and swing troubles, his first year was more intense then he thought it would be.
"I was a big fish in a little pond, then I became a big fish in a bigger pond surrounded by big fish," Walker said. "Freshman year, overall, was a very important learning opportunity."
He quickly learned that college golf would be hard: the difficulty of the courses, traveling, adjusting to competing with his teammates, and then, a wrist injury. Walker experienced slumps he was a stranger to years before.
He was no longer winning most of his tournaments, and even went on losing streaks through his college career. The setbacks only motivated and humbled Walker to be the best leader and player he can be.
Being the only senior on the team this year, Walker was ready to leave it all on the course this season. That is, until the season was ended on March 12 due the COVID-19 pandemic.
MSU Coach Casey Lubahn believed that this season was on pace to be Walker's best.
"He always fought as hard as he could and was just starting to find some confidence as we ended this season," Lubahn said. "That's one of the sad parts, he was really close to breaking out and having his best semester. He's got a huge future ahead of him."
Lubahn saw Walker's leadership as an important key to the team's future.
"If he played well or played poorly, we knew he would give us everything he had every day," Lubahn said. "He showed the other guys what it'll be like when they're seniors, they're going to have to be resilient, and they're going to have to be tough."
Unfortunately, Walker wasn't able to see the full potential of what they could accomplish this year due to the cancellation of the spring season because of COVID-19.
He had finally come to relish the idea of having a team look to him and being the motivator for his teammates while watching them grow.
"A lot of people have grown as individuals and that goes to my teammates and coaches," Walker said.
Walker will have another chance to finish his season, as the NCAA has granted spring sport athletes another year of eligibility.
For MSUSpartans.com
From the U.S. Amateur to state championships to injury-filled seasons, Michigan State men's golf senior Andrew Walker has a career full of highs and lows, and remains eager for what the future holds.
Walker had a putter put in his hand at the age of three. He would tag along with his father and brother in the spring and summer to sharpen his golf skills. They played multiple rounds of golf a day, and Walker was striving to beat his dad from an early age.
"My dad, at the time, was a very good golfer and he had a solid golf game," Walker said. "That was one of the goals that drove me."
Walker had many goals in mind in his early teens, with progressing and becoming better at golf being his top priority. He had no clue that he would become the fifth-youngest player and youngest African-American to qualify for the U.S Amateur at age 14.
"At the time, it wasn't a specific goal of mine. I don't think I realized how important the U.S Amateur was, it was one of those big crazy things where it'd be great to achieve that," Walker said.
Entering high school with the well-deserved confidence and experience from playing in the U.S Amateur, he went on to have very successful high school career. He won the team state championship his freshman year with Battle Creek Lakeview high school, two individual state championships his junior and senior seasons and won Mr. Golf as a sophomore, junior and senior.
He was highly recruited throughout his high school career, and Walker chose to MSU.
"MSU's atmosphere was unrivaled in my mind when it came to the different places I visited," Walker said. "I really enjoyed the sense of family that I felt."
After years of winning and reaping the benefits of success, Walker entered his freshman year of college with a back injury. Pushing through bad mechanics and swing troubles, his first year was more intense then he thought it would be.
"I was a big fish in a little pond, then I became a big fish in a bigger pond surrounded by big fish," Walker said. "Freshman year, overall, was a very important learning opportunity."
He quickly learned that college golf would be hard: the difficulty of the courses, traveling, adjusting to competing with his teammates, and then, a wrist injury. Walker experienced slumps he was a stranger to years before.
He was no longer winning most of his tournaments, and even went on losing streaks through his college career. The setbacks only motivated and humbled Walker to be the best leader and player he can be.
Being the only senior on the team this year, Walker was ready to leave it all on the course this season. That is, until the season was ended on March 12 due the COVID-19 pandemic.
MSU Coach Casey Lubahn believed that this season was on pace to be Walker's best.
"He always fought as hard as he could and was just starting to find some confidence as we ended this season," Lubahn said. "That's one of the sad parts, he was really close to breaking out and having his best semester. He's got a huge future ahead of him."
Lubahn saw Walker's leadership as an important key to the team's future.
"If he played well or played poorly, we knew he would give us everything he had every day," Lubahn said. "He showed the other guys what it'll be like when they're seniors, they're going to have to be resilient, and they're going to have to be tough."
Unfortunately, Walker wasn't able to see the full potential of what they could accomplish this year due to the cancellation of the spring season because of COVID-19.
He had finally come to relish the idea of having a team look to him and being the motivator for his teammates while watching them grow.
"A lot of people have grown as individuals and that goes to my teammates and coaches," Walker said.
Walker will have another chance to finish his season, as the NCAA has granted spring sport athletes another year of eligibility.
Players Mentioned
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