Photo Courtesy James Hoak
Golf celebrates with their SPC Champion trophy
After a 13-year title drought, the varsity golf team emerged victorious at the 2025 Spring Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Championships.
After months of preparation and qualifying marks, the Lions traveled to the Golf Club of Houston on April 29 for the two-day SPC tournament. Rallying from five shots back on the second day of the tournament, the Lions stormed back to a thrilling victory, 608-613, dethroning the 8- year defending champion Houston Kinkaid and capturing both the prestigious 4A team and individual championships.
The Lions’ historic finish encompassed a combination of both grit and mental toughness, resulting in three All-SPC awards and a playoff victory from junior Duff McKay that came down to the wire.
Despite competing as an underdog, the Lions stuck to their game plan, relying on each other and maintaining belief in themselves. While the teams native to the Houston area had practically a home-course advantage, the Lions had only played the course twice.
“They really coached each other up and had a plan going into each round,” varsity golf coach Greg Guiler said. “They also put in good reps (and) intentional hours. So that was imperative as well.”
When it became apparent that the team had clinched the title on hole 18, the celebration was brief, as McKay still had work to do. Tied for first overall with a score of five-under par, the Indiana commit entered a sudden death playoff that brought back heartbreak from last year, where back-to-back bogeys on the final two holes led to a nail-biting loss.
“The entire group is celebrating, and Duff is having this mental conflict, because he’s like, it’s all about the team, it’s all about the team,” Guiler said. “(But) we’re telling him, no, we want to sweep. We want you to go and win this individually.”
McKay’s mental fortitude was put to the test, but as always, he delivered.
As the playoff began, the Indiana signee hit clutch putts on the first two playoff holes before rolling in a brilliant shot to three feet on the third. From there, McKay’s opponent missed his shot, and he tapped in the winner.
“The team celebrated (Duff’s) win as much as they did the team championship, “ Guiler said. “The individual should be all about the team. Likewise, the team should be all about the individual, and I felt like those guys embodied that.”