NC State golfers travel to Vegas

Josh and Alex leaving Raleigh

 For NC State University Local Qualifier winners Alex Kowalski and Josh Rackley, a trip to Las Vegas is an adventure that they are fully excited to embark on to represent the Professional Golf Association/Golf Management (PGM/GM) program and their university with pride. Josh has never been west of Alabama while Alex hasn’t been to Las Vegas since he was 12 years old when he was there playing in a hockey tournament. Alex’s team won that tournament and that is what he and Josh expect to do when they take on the Wolf Course at the Paiute Golf Resort as participants in the 2010 National Collegiate Golf Championship (NCGC) taking place there November 12-14.

As PGA/GM students and first-ever representative of the program at the NCGC, both Alex and Josh aspire to become professional golfers after graduation, but when that part of their golf journey ends Alex will be happy to be a Head Golf Professional and Josh will aspire to be a teaching professional; both at prestigious country clubs. Playing golf 4-5 times per week, these two golfers are best friends on and off the course and are as competitive as they come. Having both played to par 71 on NC State’s home course, the Arnold Palmer-designed Lonnie Poole Golf Course, their nine-under par (62) scoring performance playing in the two-person scramble-format Local Qualifier sponsored by Campus Recreation secured their place to travel to Las Vegas.

Having not played the Paiute Golf Resort before will not present a problem for these two competitors as they are accustomed to playing challenging and prestigious courses as Josh considers Belgrade Lakes Country Club in Maine as his favorite course while Alex’s playing experience at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California ranks highest on his list. Not only are they both prepared mentally and physically to play in the NCGC, but they are taking this so seriously that they even have their wardrobe prepared for each day.  They have decided that they will wear black pants/red shirts/white caps during Saturday’s Skills Challenge while donning a conservative khaki/red shirt/white cap combination during the NCGC competition round on Sunday.

Las Vegas...

 Regardless of what they are wearing in Las Vegas, these young representatives of NC State will do themselves, their program, and their university proud. Go Pack!