When you think of an all-star varsity player, you may imagine a well-seasoned senior coming into their last year on the team. However, this is not the case for the Bowie golf team; sophomores Michael Vienneau and Knox Cannon led the golf team to new heights their first years playing, winning many tournaments and helping the team start a new legacy. 

Both players started their golf journey at a very young age playing because of family and personal interest. 

“I’ve been playing golf for as long as I can remember,” Cannon said. “I started playing because of my dad.”

According to Vienneau, he began to play competitively with his dad’s support. 

“I started playing golf when I was probably seven or eight and in tournaments when I was probably 11 or 12 years old,” Vienneau said.  “I mainly played because of my dad and just watching it on TV when I was bored.”

 Vienneau and Cannon have put up top-15 scores on the board shooting low 70’s and high 60’s individually. But at Bowie, they work as a team to get the best score possible. 

“Both coaches follow us around while we play,” Vienneau said. “Its kinda cool because you can connect to the coaches more when you see them on the golf course and it allows you to be more open and free when talking to the coaches.” 

For the first time in Bowie golf’s history, the team has a dedicated class period to be able to go play golf during school hours. Junior Alex Payne, who has been on the team since his freshman year, emphasizes the benefits of having this change.

“Our team practices definitely help us bond as a team,” Payne said. “The team is always there talking getting lose and It feels like a good group of people.”

When the team is out playing, they have to fight against the elements. This can get harsh as the sun can play a large part in the timing of when they can practice. 

“The class period is super valuable, especially because the daylight starts to dwindle in the winter,” Vienneau said. “So, on the days we get out we get to the course and get to practice before it gets dark.” 

Cannon and Vienneau are not just seen as skilled players, but they have the opportunity to work with many different coaches throughout the season. This communication brings Cannon and Vienneau to be proactive and strive for success. Head coach Sam Miller coaches in the spring and during fall season is the special teams coach for football. Miller explained his point of view toward the star players. 

“Michael and Knox have been solid golfers from day one,” Miller said. “They are very driven players and work hard at becoming top level golfers. It takes many hours a day to perfect your swing, and they have some natural ability, but they also put in the time and practice to be solid golfers with great potential.”

The coaches on the team have set goals to place at districts as a team but with a lot of a new and strong competition most of the players will have to play extremely well, according to the coaches.

 “We always have a team goal of placing at our district meet in late March,” Miller said. “That would mean moving on to regionals but its tough competition when you have the defending state champ in your district every year, Westlake.  And with the addition of the 5A state champ Anderson now in our district, the competition is some of the best in the state.”

 Even with strong competition, the golf team doesn’t back down. With the teams rising players, Miller looks to the future. 

 “I think it motivates our players to work hard and chase that goal,” Miller said. “But always trying to place in the top-3 at each of our tournaments is the goal.”