Hard work pays off for prep golfer
Braxton Muldoon’s hard work has helped him beat the odds and make the jump from high school to collegiate golf.
Muldoon, the son of Darryl and Andrea Muldoon and a senior at Gravette High School, signed a letter of intent earlier this month to play golf at Newman University in Wichita., Kan., which is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
“This means that all of my hard work has paid off,” Braxton said. “I’ve dreamed of getting a golf scholarship since I was like three years old and I’ve worked super, super hard to get it.”
His dad, who is the Director of Golf Operations for the Bella Vista Property Owners Association, said the signing is “out of this world,” especially when considering the odds for making it to the collegiate level.
“About 4.5% to 6% of the high school golfers go on to play at colleges and universities,” Darryl said. “That’s a small number compared to the number of high school golfers that are out there in the United States. So for him to get a golf scholarship at Newman University is phenomenal.”
Darryl Muldoon, who spends time instructing the GHS golfers, has helped his son develop his golf game for many years.
“I’ve been his coach his whole life, from his days of Drive, Chip & Putt where he got to the third level before the masters, to what he’s doing now,” he said.
Braxton qualified for state as an individual all four years with the Lions and was a member of Gravette’s first team entry at state in 25 years. He won the individual district title as a senior and made all-state (top 10 individual finishers at state) the last two years.
“Winning district this year in a very tough conference, that’s huge,” said his dad.
Darryl credits his son’s demeanor and hard work for getting him to this level, as well as having to “put up with me coaching him, which can be testing.”
When he’s not playing in the summer, Braxton spends his time working at the Highlands Golf Course cart barn.
“He loves the membership and the membership enjoys him,” said Darryl. “He visits with them about golf. The membership has watched him grow up, going back to his early days when I was in the golf business and he would help me out on the rally in pink and prostrate golf tournaments. He would sit there on the hole on ‘beat the pro’ and he would hit shots, too. So the membership has gotten to see him grow up and grow in his golf.”
Braxton said he really appreciates the support he’s gotten over the years from the members.
“I do. They’re always asking me, ‘Have you decided where you’re going to college to play?’ Or, ‘What was your last score?’ Or, ‘When’s your next tournament?’” he said. “It just means a lot to me to know that they really care about me. I just feed off that. It helps me know that I’m supported wherever I go.”
They also seem to be interested in having him join their group on the golf course.
“I’m getting calls and texts from a bunch of group leaders asking me if I can play with their group for maybe a Saturday, just to have a little bit of fun because they want to see me play,” he said. “It’s very inviting and it makes me feel at home wherever I go in Bella Vista.”
Darryl said, “It’s overwhelming the number of responses I got from the membership, and the ones Braxton got, saying, ‘Congratulations.’ He’s going to college to play golf and they’re excited to see what he can do. That’s phenomenal.”
While Braxton’s enjoyment of the game of golf started at a very young age, it’s been fueled by summers playing and working to improve his game which, in turn, helped him get noticed by collegiate programs.
“I remember coming home from work when he was about 6 or 7 and both he and his sister Teagen being outside chipping the marshmallow golf balls into the back of my truck or into buckets in the grass,” said Darryl. “He enjoys golf. And you’ve got to enjoy golf to take it to that next level.
“But it’s not your high school golf that will make you be noticed by a school, it’s the other things you do during the summer,” he continued. “For instance, tours like ASGA, AJGA, the PGA Section events that they have in each state … we started traveling with Braxton about three years ago. He played everywhere from Kansas to Missouri to Texas and was being recognized that he could play golf at a level that’s just not high school. So going to schools and visiting with them and seeing that what’s going to take him to that next level is to be recognized, getting into these junior events, playing during the summer.”
Those same collegiate programs also took notice of other golf-related things Braxton was doing that showed a desire to connect with his community.
“At the Rally in Pink Golf Tournaments we’d sit out there on a par 3 together, dressed in pink, and we would hit shots in the ‘beat the pro’ competition to raise money for the charity,” Darryl said. “And Braxton would sit out there with me hitting shots all day. So for 10 years he’s been sitting there helping out, investing in the community. And we’ve visited a number of colleges, but the one he decided on, they took that as a sign that he’s a unique kid, that he would sit there and do that and help out.”
Braxton, in turn, liked the fact that in the Newman University Jets he saw a golf program and coach that mirrored his hard work mentality.
“I like the fact that they all work very, very hard towards everything they do,” he said. “Their coach (Taryn Torgerson) got a walk-on spot at Wichita State and worked hard and was able to win conference her senior year. I just know that I have the potential to do that and that the hard work she put in is something I can mimic. And if I’m around her it just makes it a lot easier.”
Braxton will continue traveling to tournaments over the summer and working in Bella Vista as he prepares his game — along with his dad’s help — for the start of his first collegiate golf season.
“So it’s not that he’s signed and he’s going to sit back and relax,” said Darryl. “He’s picked out events he wants to play in to finish good so that when he steps into college, which plays in fall and spring, he’ll be ready go when he gets there in the fall. My job as his coach is to get him ready so that when he steps in at the college level he’s going to make the team right off the back and be able to perform for that college.”