GVSU star golfer Alex Scott caps off summer, looks ahead to senior season

Alex Scott lines up a shot.  GVL / Kevin Sielaff

Alex Scott lines up a shot.  GVL / Kevin Sielaff

D'Angelo Starks

Only one word can describe the summer that Grand Valley State golfer Alex Scott has had:

Historic.

Scott has been traveling around the country playing in several tournaments over the summer and performed well in them. Scott most recently traveled to Pebble Beach in California where he placed tenth in stroke play and lost in the Round of 64 of match play. 

Where Scott made history, though, was at the 2018 Tournament of Champions, where he became the first amateur golfer to ever win the event. 

“It’s a big momentum booster for me,” Scott said. “It’s just nice to see new milestones being broken down each tournament. Now that I’ve collected some collegiate wins and some big summer wins, you’re always looking for something new to do. I’m never settling with my game, I’m looking to get better every day and every single tournament I play.”

Scott came into the summer looking to improve in several aspects of his game. Two of the focal points were bettering his wedge play and drives. He knows, though, that it won’t happen without significant effort.

“I really don’t ever practice less than three and a half or four hours of a day,” Scott said. “Some days it’s just four hours of grind in the range or it might be an hour warm-up session all around and then I go and play nine or 18 holes afterward. Each and every day I’m spending at least five and a half hours on my body or my game.”  

Scott is putting this level effort into his game because he is entering his senior year and after school he plans to pursue a professional golfing career. After graduating next May, Scott will attempt to qualify for the PGA Canada Tour, also known as the Mackenzie Tour. 

Before Scott can begin qualifying for professional tours, he has one last college season before graduating. This year will be big, as Scott looks to build on a great junior season that saw him named a first team All-American, Conference Player of the Year and a finalist for the National Player of the Year award in Division II. 

“I definitely want to get Conference Player of the Year again,” Scott said. “I definitely want to be named a first team All-American again. But really, the two biggest ones in my mind are winning National Player of the Year and I want to win a national championship as a team and individually. We have the ability not just to be at the national championship, but we have the ability to compete with the top teams in the country.”  

Scott will compete in the GAM championship, an event he won last year, before he makes his return to campus for the fall season.