Record-Setting Round: Charlie Box Shoots 62 at Colbert Hills Country Club

By Greta Klein
Sports Editor
X: @gmklein32

Being calm, cool and collected is something that sophomore golfer Charlie Box looks like on a daily basis. And he was just like that after scoring a 62 during the Jayhawk Conference Championship at Colbert Hills Country Club in Manhattan earlier this week.

Shooting a 62 in a single round isn’t only impressive for Box, but also impressive for any collegiate golfer. The average score for a professional golfer in a single round is between 71-72, according to skillest.com. Box not only beat that score but did it by 10 strokes.

“Obviously, playing the course last year and shooting a 7-under round there, I knew that a good score was out there,” Box said. “Being around the course before, knowing I can shoot a good score was a big mental thing for me and knowing that I can go out there and play well.”

Box broke an 18-year record placed by former Blue Dragon Grady Pauls, who shot a 63 in Enid, Oklahoma. Box now holds the record for a single-round record on a Par-72 course.

Not only did Box break a Blue Dragon record, he also holds a record at Colbert Hills. Box is now only the third player to shoot a 62 at the Colbert Hills course.

“It’s a great feeling that there’s only three of us who have shot that score around that golf course,” Box said.

While Box was excited and felt accomplished afterwards, in the moment he stayed focused and ended up surprising himself.

“I was trying to keep in the zone while I was playing,” Box said. “Then I spoke to a couple of my teammates while on the last hole and they said, Oh yeah, that’s tied with a course record. So after the round, I kind of surprised myself. Obviously, just in the zone and tried to stay locked in as long as I could, and then my phone started blowing up a little bit, but just one of them things. It’s a great feeling that there’s only three of us who have shot that score around that golf course.”

Blue Dragons coach Chris Young also expressed his excitement for Box’s round.

“That’s the best score that anybody’s ever shot in history of HCC in a tournament,” Young said. “So it’s kind of a big thing in the golf world. I was just proud of him, because the week before he struggled a little bit with the putter. I think this week that round, especially, he made everything that he looked at pretty much. I was proud of him, and I was delighted that he did that.”

Despite his record being broken, Pauls acknowledged Box’s achievement.

“The old record was 63 and that’s been by a guy by the name of Grady Paul from Hesston, Kansas,” Young said. “Grady called me that night and talked to me and told me to tell him (Box) congratulations.”

From former players, to Young, to Box’s current teammates, he has an impact on the people around him and the team.

“I feel like he is a very positive individual,” Young said. “He uplifts the other kids, especially if they’re struggling. Golf is a game where you go through certain stages in your career that you can be really good golfer, and you hit a patch for three months you can’t hit the ball where you want to hit it. It’s really frustrating. So I like to think that other kids look at him in a positive light and try to feed off of what he’s doing.”

While this accomplishment is something to celebrate, Box said he also wants to highlight the energy he brings and gives off to the team.

“It’s a team game,” Box said. “I want everyone to bounce off me. I’m kind of the first player going out, so I want the boys to always have trust in me, and they can trust I’ll go out there and hopefully play well. So hopefully they can all jump on the bandwagon and make a train of some good players. Hopefully be good for the nationals and hopefully win again.”

The Blue Dragons will travel to Sand Creek Station in Newton on April 21, to compete at the Region 6 Championship.

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