CGX
Before Pepperdine senior Derek Hitchner developed into one of the top players in the country, he was discovered, at least by Waves head coach Michael Beard, at a golf camp.
Back in 2015, Hitchner, then a rising high-school sophomore, attended the Kerry Cup, an annual week-long camp for prep-aged golfers in Waterville, Ireland. Beard was among the college coaches on site that year.
“I remember seeing Derek and thought I really liked this guy, just his demeanor,” Beard recalled. “He wasn’t highly ranked at the time, but he ended up getting better and better.”
Six months later, Hitchner was taking an unofficial visit to the Malibu, California, campus.