Sophomore golfer shows heart and talent on the links

Over the weekend, Baylor sophomore golfer Colton Williams won the individual title at the Border Olympics. An impressive feat for anyone, especially considering that Williams led the tournament wire-to-wire to claim his first collegiate title.

But as Paul Harvey might say, it’s the rest of the story that makes things interesting. A month earlier, Williams was heading with the rest of his teammates to the Rice Invitational when he got word that his mentor, Henry Richards, had died. The funeral was set for the last day of the tournament, and Williams decided he should be there. Head coach Greg Priest and the team decided that Williams should play the first two rounds anyway, knowing he would miss the final round.

Williams played — and at the end of the first two rounds, was leading the field. Faced with the option of honoring his friend or taking a chance at winning his first tournament, Williams chose the former. “Some people said I should have stayed and tried to win it for Henry,” Williams told Golfweek magazine (complete feature here). “But in my heart, I knew I had to go back home for him. I’d like to think that I will win a tournament, and when I do he’ll know it was for him.”

A month later, he did just that. What a great moment–for Williams, most definitely, but also for all Bear fans, who can be proud of both the heart and the talent this young Bear displayed.

Sic ’em, Colton!