As he gets set for his senior season, Alabama men’s golfer Hunter Hamrick will be one of the top collegiate golfers in the nation and the leader for the Crimson Tide. In his career, Hamrick has amassed three collegiate victories, seven top-five finishes and shot 14 rounds in the 60’s.
According to teammates and coaches, Hamrick has been nothing but a warrior for the Tide. That mentality was on full display this past June when he played in the NCAA Championship with a severe case of mononucleosis. After going in and out of the hospital for medicine and fluid, and against doctor’s recommendations to sit out, Hamrick helped carry the Crimson Tide to a 14th place finish.
“He is the heart and soul of this program, of our team,” head coach Jay Sewell said. “He cares. He has matured so much in his time here. He has passion for his teammates and for our school. You want someone like that to be a leader in whatever you do, and he will be our leader on the golf course, for sure, all next year.”
Since his freshman year, Hunter has improved in many aspects, on and off the golf course. When asked how he has seen Hamrick has improved since coming to Alabama, Seawell talked about how Hamrick’s maturity and leadership have given him a distinctive edge.
“I think that his approach and his maturity [have gotten better] for sure,” Seawell said. “I think he has gotten older, but I think of what happened at the NCAA’s when he was in and out of the hospital with a severe case of mono and the doctors said he shouldn’t play, but he decided he was going to play and how he gutted it out. The rounds at the NCAA’s this year really signified how he has matured as a player and how much of a leader he is for this program. The leader he has become – I think that is his biggest change: his leadership qualities since his freshman year.”
While Hunter has great skill from tee to green, Seawell said Hamrick’s love for the game and excellent work ethic are his biggest strengths on the course.
“He is a great player, and he became a great player, but his work ethic is unbelievable because he just loves trying to get better. I would say his work ethic and love of the game is infectious, and I think it is something that really motivates the other guys on our team.”
Seawell also said Hamrick and the team still have room to grow.
“We had a chance to win the national championship,” Seawell said. “That last day we might have gotten a little ahead of ourselves, and we didn’t execute properly in that last round when we needed to, and so we will learn from the mistakes that we made and grow.”
Hamrick’s goal is a little more clear-cut.
“There is really only one goal, you know,” Hamrick said. “Since I’ve got here, we haven’t won a championship. I’ve won some tournaments over the past three years, but that really doesn’t mean a whole lot to me. It’s more about just winning a championship. Whether it’s an SEC or national championship, I would love to win both. But, I think it would be a little bit disappointing if we didn’t win one of those while I am here.”
