The NCAA’s illustrious national championship touched down in San Diego this week at the Omni La Costa Resort. The nation’s top young talent was showcased in full display during the week-long tournament. The event consisted of both individual and team championships. Individually, a dominant 11-under performance from Ole Miss’s Michael La Sasso was enough to etch his name into the history books. Team-wise, Oklahoma State won an electric eight-team bracket-style competition over powerhouses like Auburn and Arizona State. Although Oklahoma State stole the show, a closer look at the 6th placing University of Texas reveals a San Diego success story.
21-year-old junior Luke Potter served as some local representation throughout the course of the week. Potter was born and raised in Encinitas, California, playing his high school golf at La Costa Canyon, just a two-mile drive from the course where he battled for a national title. Potter’s high school career was nothing short of legendary. The accolades stack sky high, with an individual and team high school championship in just his freshman year included. That freshman year also included a nomination and victory for the California Freshman Athlete of the Year award. The award considered freshman athletes of all sports in every corner of California. Potter became the first golfer since Tiger Woods to win the award, pretty legendary company. He did not stop there either, winning the sophomore edition of the award in his second season.
All this dominance resulted in offers galore for the young stud. Potter was regarded as the top high school prospect in the nation by Golf Channel. He eventually would decide to sign with Arizona State University, officially beginning his collegiate journey. His knack for dominant freshman seasons continued in college. Potter competed in 12 tournaments as a freshman, registering a 71.00 stroke average in said competitions. That was good enough for the second-lowest by a freshman in Sun Devil history. Potter took a slight step back in his sophomore year, registering a 72.40 stroke average in his completed tournaments.
Despite the hype surrounding him attending ASU, Potter decided a change of scenery was needed following the season. He shifted from one powerhouse to another, transferring to Texas in the offseason. The San Diego native’s decision resulted in a career year. Potter competed in 13 events for the Longhorns, registering an average score of 70.67 and even securing a tournament victory in early March. The consistently good play allowed Potter to earn a chance at eternal glory in this year’s national championship.
Despite the Cinderella story, Potter’s homecoming came up short. In the individual period of the tournament, Potter struggled. He got off to a solid start on day one, finishing one under, which was good enough for T24 in the field. His performance helped Texas finish tied for second place in the team rankings at the completion of the first round, but they would slip in the later days. Round two would see Potter shoot a mediocre two over, resulting in him dropping to a still solid T33 in the field. The Longhorns’ struggles and other teams’ surges would have them drop from second to sixth in the team rankings, flirting with the eight-team cutoff line a little bit earlier than expected. Potter again shot over par in round three, registering a score of two over to place him at T35 entering the final day of individual play. That final day would be his worst of the tournament, as he shot three over to drop him to T50 in the final individual rankings.
Despite the lower individual placement, Potter did well enough to help Texas make it into the eight-team championship as the sixth seed. They would face off against another SEC squad in the form of third-seeded Florida. Potter would have his hands full in his matchup, facing off against Florida’s number two, Jack Turner. Potter stepped up to the challenge, getting off to an early lead on Turner and not looking back. Golf Channel broadcasters praised his smiley yet calm, cool and collected demeanor throughout the match. Unfortunately, despite Potter doing his job, Texas would fall to the three-seed, ending their shot at a fifth national championship victory.
Despite the loss, Potter’s future in the sport of golf looks extremely bright, if he can tap into that San Diego high school dominance, lots of top tens are to come.
