For Allan Hancock College sophomore Austin Kaiser, signing with the San Diego State University golf team was a dream come true.
On June 7, Kaiser signed a National Letter of Intent to represent the Aztecs as a golfer. SDSU maintains a prestigious golf program and finished in the top 10 of golf teams in the nation this past season.
According to Hancock golf coach Mike Denne, Kaiser—an honor student who graduated high school with a 4.2 grade point average—is one of those rare athletes who combines being a self-starter with knowing what needs to be done.
“Austin can practice on his own and gets the job done in both the classroom and on the course,” Denne said.
Denne coached Kaiser for two years and said Kaiser received numerous contacts from colleges during his freshman year. Instead, Kaiser opted to spend another year working on his game for Hancock and figuring out what he wanted to do for a career.
After finishing last season with the best average score for the Western State Conference with a 72.6, Kaiser was named the Most Valuable Player in the conference. He feels he’s ready to move on.
According to Kaiser, he only seriously considered San Diego State, even as he was in talks with other colleges. He accepted a half-scholarship from the university with the possibility of an increase in upcoming years.
“I visited the campus; they have a great golf program,” Kaiser said. “I think it’s going to be a great move.”
Kaiser said he’s been playing golf competitively for about 12 years and has been playing since age 6. Kaiser’s overall aim is to land a spot on the PGA Tour, but he’s realistic and knows he’ll have to work hard at school if he wants to achieve his goal.
As for his career options, Kaiser thinks he’s finally figured it out.
“I am going to major in recreation and minor in business management,” he said.
No matter what he chooses to study, he knows he wants to work with professional sports teams.
He also hopes to improve his physical golf game by working on consistent ball striking. Until the big move, Kaiser will continue to practice, compete, and prepare for his future as an Aztec golfer.
“This is a dream come true for Austin,” Denne said. “He works hard; I’m proud and excited for him.”
This article appears in Jun 21-28, 2012.
