The Press Thornton Future Masters Golf Tournament hosts top caliber 14- to 18-year-old players from around the globe, making it a world-wide showcase for junior golfers. For the past five years, Cairo High School’s Hunter Courtney has been among the lineup, but now he is looking to take his game to the next level. Graduation is just around the corner for this senior, and he already has several collegiate golf offers on the table.
“I’m looking at a couple colleges,” Courtney said. “I don’t want to mention the names of the schools just yet, though. I’m trying to keep it under the hat right now. I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, I’ll get on a good team and try to run for a national title while I’m there.”
Courtney has been around golf his entire life. When his dad helped out at a local golf course on the weekends, he would always tag along as a child. He picked up his first golf club when he was eight and fell in love with the sport more and more as he grew up.
“I just like going out there and having fun,” Courtney said. “I love a really close golf match with somebody that’s right on my tail, or I’m trying to chase somebody for the win.”
Although he has been involved with the sport for the majority of his life, Courtney was only able to play two years on the Cairo High School team. During his freshman year, Courtney decided to attend Thomas County Central High School, but since he lived in Cairo, he was ineligible to play. During his 10th grade year, he made the decision to attend Cairo High School so that he would be united with friends he had always attended school with, but the way it played out, he wasn’t able to compete at CHS until his junior year.
“When my 11th grade year rolled around, I knew we had something in the hat because we had three good golfers, but we missed winning the region title by five shots last year, I believe,” Courtney said.
Courtney still earned the low medalist title for the region, and his team ended up invited to the state sectionals in Dahlonega, Georgia. Although his team didn’t quite make the cut in sectionals, Courtney got to play at the state level as an individual, but unfortunately his game was off during the match.
“With golf you’re going to have your good days and your bad days,” Courtney said.
Courtney’s understanding and ability to not get discouraged over his not-so-good days certainly create even more opportunities for him to excel when the good days roll around. Courtney played some excellent matches during his years participating in the Future Masters. The tournament is one of the most traditionally rich junior tournaments in the world and has an impressive list of former tournament competitors including past U.S. Open champions Hubert Green and Jerry Pate; Masters winners Bubba Watson and Larry Mize; PGA champions Bob Tway, Mark Brooks, and Shawn Micheel; and British Open winner Ben Curtis.
According to Courtney, his short game always seems to shine through more than any other of his abilities on the golf course.
“Anybody can make it on the green, but you have to make it in the hole once you get to the green,” Courtney said. “That’s what counts in golf. If you don’t have good short game, you won’t usually score good.”
Courtney has a ton of skill and more importantly a great attitude. He’s positive, focused, and isn’t afraid to put in the work to become an exceptional golfer. Whether it’s this spring or during the many seasons he has ahead in college, Courtney is a young man to watch on whatever golf course he tees off on.
However, even with all of his self-motivation and talent, Courtney couldn’t let the opportunity pass without mentioning three men who have guided him throughout the years: “My role models are my dad, my swing coach Bill Connally, and coach Holland at TCCHS.”
Hunter Courtney | Golf | Cairo High School
In the Game SG February 2017
Senior Cairo High School Golfer Takes Shot at National Competition, Plans for Many More Rounds in College
Written by: Sarah Turner
Photography by Emmanuel Magbanua
