Junior Michael Jennings, campus golf enthusiast, can finally refer to himself as the 2016 champion of the Campus Golf Masters after seven physically demanding years of training.
Now, campus golf is not some playground, leisurely, pastime sport – it’s a lifestyle. And no better person than the master himself can attest to this.
“I’ve been working really hard for this tournament, and now I’m just really glad that I was able to display my superior talents to the campus golf community,” Jennings said. “I hope that I can inspire others to pursue their dreams of conquering the campus golf masters. No matter what anyone says, it is a sport.”
A sport indeed. The components of campus golf require expert intellect and body condition. Equipment includes a golf club and tennis balls, and the National Campus Golf Committee chooses the holes and their specific pars for the tournament. Examples of holes located on DePauw's campus include the pond by East College, the trunks of particular trees, and even the boulder.
“One time, I got a hole-in-one at the boulder all the way from Sigma Chi,” Jennings said. “Crowd went wild. It was lit.”
Every campus golf master in the past has had his own personal pre-game routines, ranging from broad daylight boulder runs to high-knees back and forth in the Longden/Bishop Roberts tunnel. However, Jenning’s routine is simple.
“My pre-game routine is a pregame,” Jennings said. “I have never gone one game without shot-gunning at least three beers. Well... at least since I turned 21, of course."
Jennings began his training as a freshman in high school with his older brother and former DePauw student, Chris, as his mentor.
“Chris pushed me in ways I never thought my body or my brain could be pushed,” Jennings said. “He always had my back when others didn’t. Can you believe that people haven’t heard of campus golf?”
Jennings continued, “People didn’t take me seriously back then, but now they will.”
One of Jennings' favorite aspects of campus golf is the female appeal.
“Oh, the ladies love campus them some campus golf. I mean, are you surprised?” Jennings said.
Jennings attributed much of his motivation to female attendance at the tournament, a factor that forced Wabash campus golfers to fall short, due to their inability to interact with females.
After the tournament, Jennings walked home with one fist in the air, the other holding his prize – an edible arrangement in the shape of golf clubs and tennis balls.