By Pranay Malempati | Sports Writer
After the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility for spring-sport athletes, senior Baylor men’s golfers Cooper Dossey and Colin Kober are set to return next season.
Kober said that while he expected to gain an extra year of eligibility, he is nevertheless excited to have the opportunity to come back next season. He said that the relationship he shares with Dossey makes returning to Baylor even more special.
“When Cooper and I came in as freshman, me, Cooper and [redshirt junior Travis Isenhart] all just hit it off,” Kober said. “Cooper and I have grown as brothers. Being able to come back and finish what we kind of started — we kind of tried to change the culture of Baylor golf for four years, and now we get a fifth. Just being able to compete with him is awesome.”
Dossey, who is ranked No. 4 in the nation, was chosen last week for the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup as part of Team USA. The Palmer Cup pits the best US collegiate golfers against the best collegiate golfers across the rest of the world.
Dossey said the opportunity to come back to Baylor next season will make his Palmer Cup experience that much sweeter.
“With the season being canceled, going back to school is amazing,” Dossey said. “I think it has opened a lot more doors this summer for me. I do think I’ll be able to enjoy [the Palmer Cup] more, since I’m going back to school.”
Dossey said that he is looking forward to play in the Palmer Cup because it is an achievement he has been striving towards and he’s especially proud to represent his country.
“For me, it means a lot,” Dossey said. “All the hard work has paid off, and I have the opportunity to go play with some of the best guys in college golf.”
“[Representing America] means a lot,” Dossey said. “It’s hard to put into words. I don’t think you get the opportunity very often, so when the opportunity does come, when it gets there, it feels pretty cool.”
Dossey and Kober will return to a Baylor team that was ranked No. 10 in GolfStat’s final NCAA rankings of 2020. Kober said that he believes Baylor has the players to compete for a national championship next season.
“We have a very deep team that has a lot of players who can be top players in the country,” Kober said. “Our goal is very simple: win the Big 12 championship – win two of them, win the match play and win the stroke play. And then go win the national championship. I don’t think we should settle for anything less.”
