Senior Reflection: Kevin Reilly
6/26/2017 11:37:50 AM | General, Blog
By: Kevin Reilly
I vividly remember askingCoach Emil how we stood overall while getting ready to hit my 3rd shotfrom the 18th fairway. I expected him to say we're in like 3rd or 4thbut instead tells me that we were leading by one. My whole body froze for asecond kind of in shock.
Everyonewas depending on me, as a freshman, to secure the championship at my last hole.
I ended up with a score of1-over par and I was just distraught because I thought I blew it. My anxietywas mounting as I thought there was no way the No. 15 team would falter.
James Lee, Landon Michelsonand I were hitting balls in case there was a playoff. As I'm hitting balls, Iturn around to see Tommy and Alex sprinting over to the range in celebration,threw my club in the air and we all did a dog pile. We won.
Being a team ranked around100, and beating UAB with a kid that played in the final group of the BritishOpen the following year, it was an experience that I'll never forget and onethat automatically brings a smile to my face.
It gives me chills everytime I think about it.
The warm response thecommunity gave us made it really cool to know that I had so many people behindme.
I can't thank the Ricecommunity enough for all the support that they've given throughout my fouryears. I've had such amazing people around me and I've made so many friendsthat I hope to keep up with for the rest of my life.
I have grown in manyways from the quiet kid from Orlando, Florida who arrived as just a leader on the course butinto a leader on the course and off the course as well. The team and coach pushed me to do wellfrom the moment I started playing.
It was a little unusualhaving so much pressure on me as a freshman where my team counted on my scorebeing one of the top 4 each tournament, but I embraced it and my teammatespushed me to have probably the best, most consistent year of golf that I'veever played.
Being Conference USAFreshman of the Year and winning the first conference championship in 75 years,my first year at Rice. The kids coming in looked up to our class as the exampleof what Rice's future should be.
Hopefully I live longenough so I can be that old man at an alumni event telling everybody the storyof us winning the first C-USA golf championship in Rice history and the firstconference championship in 75 years.