Morrison commits to play golf at MCC

By TJ MAXWELL

Cove Leader-Press

Copperas Cove senior Tyler Morrison committed Monday to play golf McLennan Community College Highlassies. Morrison will be entering her senior year with the Lady Dawgs golf team when the season kicks off in February. “I chose MCC because Coach Clapp really expressed to me what kind of golfer he could build from me,” said Morrison. “And how he could take me to the next level. He sold me on MCC.” Morrison has played for six years and has competed at an elite level. She even competed in a PRO-AM tournament with PGA professional Tom Pernice Jr. She qualified for the UIL Regional tournament for the past two years as part of the Lady Dawgs golf program and finished first in the Austin Region for the South Texas Professional Golf Association (STPGA). Morrison has competed in seven STPGA events this year, winning two, finishing second in another finished third in four others. She also has been competing on the West Texas Junior Champions Tour where she currently ranks fifth in the girls 15-18 division. She finished first at the 2015 Holiday Classic in January and had a second, third and fifth place finish in three tournaments played in June and is coming off a second-place tie with a round of 77 at the Llano River Golf Course on July 1. Morrison finished third two days prior at the Forest Creek Golf Club as part of the STPGA Junior Tour. Morrison ranks first in the STPGA Spring Series, is tied for 29th on the Prestige Tour with one event played and is tied for 130th in the Summer series after one event. “MCC and Coach Dererk Clapp landed not only a great player today, but and excellent leader and student with unsurpassed work ethic. Our team is building in the weight room and the course daily throughout the summer and she has been a big part of that,” said Cove head golf coach Ryan Youngblood. “She does a great job mentoring the younger golfers. Having her in our program is a true blessing as a coach and we are working hard to build the golf program day by day.” Additional golf programs to show interest in the Lady Dawg golfer included West Texas A&M, Lubbock Christian University and McMurry University. Morrison joins fellow Cove standout Drew Dewald in the MCC golf program. The Highlassies finished fourth at the NJCAA National Championships in 2014 and finished the season ranked third in NJCAA women’s golf.