BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University Director of Golf Luke Bennett has announced the addition of three players to the men's golf program that are set to join the team in 2021-22.

 

The three players include two standout prep players from the state of Washington and one player from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

 

Conrad Brown (Burlington, WA/Burlington-Edison), Braden O'Grady (Edmonton, Alberta/Strathcona Composite) and Cole Reynolds (Auburn, WA/Auburn Mountainview) have all signed their National Letters of Intent (NLI) during the early signing period to officially join the WWU Men's Golf program.

 

"I'm very excited about this class, to be able to bring in a couple of the top players from the state and to pair them with a really hard working player in Braden is fantastic," said Bennett, who is in his eighth season leading the men's program and third as Director of Golf overseeing the men's and women's programs. "All three love golf and love to put in work to get better."

 

 

Brown has put together a stellar golf resume, which includes a 2^nd-place finish at the 2018 Washington State 2A Championships as a sophomore (77-72+149) and a 7^th-place finish as a freshman. Following his first prep season in 2017-18, Brown was selected as the Skagit Valley Herald Golfer of the Year. During the 2020 summer season on the Washington Junior Golf Association, Brown recorded five top 20 finishes, including a 3^rd and 6^th-place finish. He also has a runner-up finish at the Rocky Mountain Junior Tournament of Champions and won the 2017 WJGA District 1 Championship.

 

Bennett on Brown:

"Although Conrad is a little soft spoken his game is not. He brings a great passion for the game and I'm thrilled to have him as a Viking."

 

Brown on joining the WWU program:

"There are many Viking golfers I am close with who have influenced me and I am really looking forward to playing with them next year. It is a great program with a strong legacy of great players and great leadership."

 

O'Grady is set to join the WWU men's golf program as one of the top junior golfers in Canada. He represented Alberta at the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games and was the 2020 Alberta Junior Boys Order of Merit Champion. His golf resume also includes playing for Team Canada at the 2019 Nordic Cup in Sweden and at the 2018 Aaron Baddeley International Junior Championship. He won the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour's Canada Saskatchewan Junior Championship and took 2^nd at the Alberta Junior Championship.

 

Bennett on O'Grady:

"I'm thrilled to bring in a solid player from north of the boarder. Braden brings an outstanding work ethic and I know he'll do some great things as a Viking."

 

O'Grady on joining the WWU program:

"I wanted to go to a school that strongly expressed their interest and support for me and that is exactly what Coach Bennett and Western Washington brought to the table. Western Washington is in a great location being in Bellingham and having almost year-round access to golf. The academics and support for student-athletes is top notch and I look forward to contributing to the team's success in the near future. Go Vikings!" 

 

Reynolds is a standout prep golfer out of Auburn's Mountainview High School that calls Meridian Valley Country Club his home course. Over the summer he placed 2^nd at the Clallam County Amateur with a 5-under-par 211 54-hole total, trailing only Western junior Devin Andrews. Reynolds also reached the quarterfinals of the 2020 WJGA State Match Play, tied for 5^th at the 2020 WJGA State Championship and was co-medalist at the 2019 NPSL Championships. He is a three-time NPSL 4A Olympic First Team All-Conference selection and placed 37^th at the 2019 WIAA 4A State Tournament.

 

Bennett on Reynolds:

"It's hard to think of a player more dedicated to golf. Cole's an extremely hard worker that loves to compete. He's going to make an immediate impact on this program."

 

Reynolds on joining the WWU program:

"What drew me to Western was the great culture that has been created not only by the team, but around the campus and the great city of Bellingham."

 

Fans can follow the WWU Men's Golf program online at WWUVikings.com/MGolf, and via social media on Twitter (@WWUGolf), Instagram (@wwugolf) and Facebook (@WWUMGolf).

 

The WWU men's golf team has an incredible streak of advancing to the NCAA Championships in each of the 21 seasons the program has competed at the NCAA Division II level dating back to the 1998-99 season, including a 3^rd-place finish at the 2013 national championship. The program has produced 16 NCAA All-Americans and has won 9 of 12 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships since the tournament debuted in 2008, including the 2019 title. The Vikings have also featured the GNAC Championships individual medalist in 8 of 12 tournaments, including 2018 champion Ethan Casto and 2019 champion Brody Bonfilio.