Ryle golfers tee off for college

by James Weber   Ryle golfers tee off for college

UNION — They made history for the Ryle High School golf teams this past fall.Ryle seniors Blake Hamilton and Alex Bruce have their eyes on more when they head out to play college golf after graduation.

Hamilton will play for Division I Cincinnati, Bruce will play for Division II Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C.

Hamilton tied for third place in the Kentucky state tournament last fall, leading Ryle to fifth place as a team. Both are the highest finishes in Ryle history, and Hamilton finished three strokes out of first place as he came close to becoming the second boys state champion in Northern Kentucky history.

Bruce tied for 15th in the girls tourney, sharing the spot with freshman teammate Nadine Innes, as they marked the highest finish in Ryle girls history.

Hamilton has been tutoring for most of his years under local golf pro Doug Martin. Martin, one of the area’s top teaching pros, is the UC head coach.

UC’s home course is also Hamilton’s, Traditions in Hebron.

“They play in a lot of great tournaments,” Hamilton said. “Doug Martin has been my swing coach forever. He’s like a father. He’ll keep me on track to what I want to do, which is play professionally when I graduate.”

Bruce was the conference champion last fall after a strong summer in local and national events. Her favorite golf memory was winning the Notre Dame Invitational last season in a sudden-death playoff.

“It was the first playoff I’d won, and it really helped me learn how to play under pressure,” she said. “The whole team was lining the fairway and cheering me on. It’s something I’ll always remember.”

She chose Converse, whose head coach is former LPGA Tour veteran Sara Anne McGetrick.

“She knows how to connect with the teenage population,” Bruce said. “It’s a very secure campus and it’s small, so I’ll get the academic attention I need.”

Bruce enjoys the social aspect of golf.

“It’s great competition,” she said. “It teaches you morals and respect and courtesy. You play with someone for five hours, you meet the person and you get to know them.”