By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer
Soon after graduate student Johnny Keefer committed to Baylor during his junior year of high school, his dad called head coach Mike McGraw and asked how he could improve before entering the program. Keefer, a devoted athlete and strong student, was advised to be dedicated to school. As McGraw recalls, it was a “bingo,” as everything clicked.
“I’m a coach, and athletic performance is important to any coach, but there’s a great amount of pride when you think of a kid who’s been a two-time All-American, represented the United States on the Arnold Palmer Cup Team and represented [Baylor] on a national level every summer all across the country,” McGraw said. “To be as good a golfer as he is, and to also be the student that he is, that’s the definition of a student-athlete. It’s really, really difficult to be one of the best players in the country but also the best student in the conference. It’s thrilling to me.”
After one of the best season-long showings in Baylor men’s golf history, Keefer was named the Big 12 Men’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row, becoming the first men’s golfer in Big 12 history to win the award in back-to-back seasons. But he’s not done collecting the accolades just yet.
“[It’s] pretty cool to make history,” Keefer said. “I obviously feel like I’ve proven myself academically and athletically, and to hopefully do it again would be my goal.”
Keefer has proven to himself that he has all the tools required to be successful. With another year to grow and develop, others think the ceiling could be even higher.
“I think he’s definitely in the conversation for getting that award again,” McGraw said. “On a national level, I feel like he would be a really good candidate for the Byron Nelson Award, which is given to the top student-athlete in all of college golf period.”
Since day one on campus, Keefer has worked alongside McGraw with the goal of consistently playing on the PGA Tour. The tight-knit men’s golf team has rallied around the grad student and prepared themselves for success at high levels.
“[McGraw] really places an emphasis on us being prepared for the next stage, and for me, I’m going to turn professional after this year,” Keefer said. “What he’s really trying to do is prepare me for professional golf, which obviously doesn’t have academics. But having discipline and time management skills is still very important when you’re a professional golfer, and that comes with academics.”
Through school, Keefer said he’s found tools in academics that translate to success on the course. From strict deadlines to tight schedules, Keefer has shown how Baylor’s rigorous academics provide the foundation for success in all aspects of life.
“What it shows, not just to me as a coach, but also his teammates, is that the discipline it takes to be a really good golfer or athlete is the same discipline that it takes to be a great student,” McGraw said.
Though Keefer will only wear the green and gold for one more year, the foundation he has constructed for the program influences all who are and all who will soon be involved.
“[Keefer] is not the only guy on our team who feels that way,” McGraw said. “We have other guys — Drew Wrightson, Tyler Isenhart and Luke Dossey — who are all upperclassmen that have been amazing in the classroom. I think it’s sort of a culture thing that I’m really happy with and hope to continue going forward.”
Keefer and the Bears will hit the course for the first time this fall on Sept. 9 in the Valero Texas Collegiate at TPC San Antonio.
