For West Virginia University senior golfer Alan Cooke, Country Roads undeniably brought him home to the Mountain State.

 

“Big Al”, a nickname given to him – rather large infant - by his father that has followed him to Morgantown, grew up a dedicated fan of Mountaineer athletics. Cooke attended many games while growing up just a couple hours southwest of Morgantown in Parkersburg (Vienna). He had always dreamt of one day playing golf for the state’s flagship university.

 

However, when it came time for college, Cooke had to follow his dream of playing collegiate golf elsewhere. At the time of his high school graduation there was not a Mountaineer golf team, and there hadn’t been one since the early 1980s. After his high school career came to an end at Parkersburg High School in 2013, he decided to attend University of South Carolina Beaufort to continue his golf career.

 

USC Beaufort is a small NAIA school enrolling approximately 1,900 students near Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Cooke spent his freshman and sophomore years in the Palmetto State where he earned NAIA All-American honors both years and placed 18th at the NAIA Men’s Golf Nationals in 2014.

 

Though he had found a home in South Carolina, playing at WVU was still a dream of his he hadn’t given up on. When rumors began to surface about the Mountaineer golf program returning after a three-decade absence, Cooke was sure to keep his ears open.

 

“I wanted to play golf here if I could,” said Cooke. “It was something I have wanted to do since I was little. I heard the rumors my freshman year down at USC Beaufort that they might have been sorting something up here. I kind of just kept my ears open to see if it was actually going to happen. When I heard it was true, I was on the first bus back up here. I wanted to come play and be back home.”

 

Cooke wasn’t alone on his return home to the mountain state. Scott Depot native and Winfield High School graduate Chris Williams also made his return home after spending his first two years as a member of Costal Carolina University’s golf team. The two joined together as teammates to welcome the golf program back into WVU varsity athletics.

 

“I played a couple of tournament rounds with him over summer,” said Cooke on his relationship with Williams. “I think we played at Pete Dye together one time. We get along pretty well because we both ended up here the same way. We can relate easily on the subject.”

 

 Since Cooke returned home, the 5-foot-9 senior has gone above and beyond representing the university and his home state. This past summer Cooke won the 97th West Virginia Amateur at the Old White TPC in White Sulphur Springs. Winning the tournament qualified him for the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic, which was ultimately canceled as a result of the July West Virginia flooding.

 

“At first it was a bit of a shock I guess. I couldn’t really believe what was about to happen,” said Cooke. “I was ready for it. I was practicing like I had normally been practicing. I played a couple of tournaments after the state amateur, and I’m looking forward to getting out there and playing again this year.”

 

In addition to his accomplishments outside of collegiate golf, Cooke has proved to be a leader for the Mountaineers on the links. This fall he posted a top-10 finish as he tied for ninth, shooting a 216 in the Mountaineer Intercollegiate at WVU’s home course, The Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport.

 

He also led the Mountaineers in qualifying with four events. Cooke played a total of 10 rounds and averaged an impressive 72.40 this fall.

 

Cooke is unsure what his future will hold after he graduates this spring with a bachelor of science in marketing, but he isn’t counting out trying out a career in golf just yet.

 

“It’s something I need to figure out,” Cooke said. “I would like to try to play a little bit if I get the opportunity, but that takes a lot of support and planning. The first step is getting that organized, that is, if that’s what I decide I want to do.”

 

Even if his Cooke’s competitive golf career comes to an end after he graduates, his dream was fulfilled by getting the opportunity to come back home and represent West Virginia University on the links. That is something he will always be grateful for.

 

“It is a dream come true, really,” Cooke expressed.