Roy signs with St. Gregory's University
By Mike Pilosof
Garden City, KS-Growing up in Topeka, Nathan Roy was not exactly sure which direction his golf career would take him.
In 2016, Roy made the decision to go the junior college route and signed with Garden City Community College.
"I figured going to Garden City would make it an easier transition to a four-year school," the sophomore said. "And I learned a lot."
Roy's patience paid off in a big way on Friday when he signed a national letter of intent to play golf at St. Gregory's University in Shawnee, OK.
"A lot of my family went there," Roy said. "But their (St. Gregory's) recruiting pitch was very personal. I struggled a bit with the mental side of the game, so to have someone to go to and talk about that was big for me."
St. Gregory's Golf Coach Rob Bennett liked what he saw from the start.
"Nathan is a lot farther along than he knows," he said. "We see a guy that already has college experience and can give us good scores right away."
Roy is no stranger to major competition. He won a state title as a junior and was a four-year state qualifier. In his two seasons in Garden City, Roy has been ranked in golf stat's 150 both years. His best finish came last year in New Mexico where placed 35th and was 1-over for the tournament.
"I've learned so much from the junior college experience," Roy said. "And I've gotten so much better at the game."
His current coach agrees.
"Nathan has been a breath of fresh air," John Green said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do and more."
Roy signed with a school that is in its fourth year competing at the NAIA level.