After a four-year run as a varsity golfer, senior Matthew Murdock has his destination for the next four years.
Murdock has committed to Saginaw Valley State University to play golf following his senior season in the spring. He notes that the recruitment process was tumultuous.
“The recruitment process was very stressful,” Murdock said. “Throughout the last couple of years, I’ve talked to a lot of coaches and seen a few campuses, but nothing compared to the combination of campus, school, and golf that Saginaw has.”
Through all of the visits and offers, Murdock zooms in on what stood out about Saginaw Valley.
“I chose SVSU because once I stepped on campus, I knew I could see myself going there. The minute I met the coach, I knew I could play for a guy like that, with high energy and passion to see his players succeed.”
Saginaw Valley State is on the rise as a golf program. Their historical success is difficult to find, as their lone notable finish was a national runner-up in 1984. However, golfer Shea Harmeson is leading a turnaround, as he powered a GLIAC championship for the Cardinals earlier this year.
Despite his ability and skill, golf was not Murdock’s first choice for a sport. He recalls how his athletic career started and shifted from his original decision.
“My interest [in golf] sparked from my grandpa,” Murdock said. “He was the one who introduced my family to golf. When I was younger, I really liked baseball and always saw myself as a baseball player, but I ended up getting burnt out.”
It’s difficult to make it to the collegiate level as an athlete without quality practice and coaching. Murdock recognizes the people who have worked hard to make him a better golfer and put him in the position he is today.
“I have had one main coach: Brandon Roby,” Murdock said. “Along with my high school coaches, they have guided me through this process by helping me with my swing, strategies, and course management, kind of guiding me around the course in some places.”
Coaches are only part of the influence given to a talented athlete to drive them to the next level. Family can also provide an important drive toward success. Murdock notes the importance of his genetic history in his success.
“I would say my brother, Joseph, [is my biggest influence],” Murdock said. “He plays golf in college [at Depauw University], so I got to see kind of what it was like and how fun it would be, but I also set a goal for myself to play in college, and that goal has inspired me to work as hard as possible to achieve that goal.”
Even though Murdock has more golf to play on the horizon, he still has his high school senior season ahead of him. In four years, it’s clear that Murdock has had a lot of time to figure out the benefits of being a golfer in his time at FHC. He recounts the best part of hitting the course every spring.
“My favorite part of being on the golf team has been all of the van rides to the events,” Murdock said. “The rides are sometimes more memorable than the round of golf, depending on what happens, so that is something I look forward to for my last year.”
With a tight-knit group such as a golf team, there are countless memories to be made in your time together. Murdock recounts his best memories as a Ranger golfer.
“My favorite memory as a team would be my freshman year when we qualified for states,” Murdock said. “It was the first time that we qualified as a team in 11 years. My favorite individual memory was last year, when I was in a playoff to qualify for states; every single player and parent from the event was watching, and I won the playoff to qualify for the state tournament.”
En route to his last year in high school golf, Murdock is setting a high bar for himself the rest of the way to accomplish everything on his bucket list.
“I have a few goals this season,” Murdock said. “My big goal for the team is to qualify for the state tournament, but individually, I want to win the state title, be all-conference, and be all-state Super Team.”
