PREP GOLF: John Hardin's Vick headed to Morehead State (12/5)

One chapter of Michael Vick’s golfing career is done, and now he knows where the next one will begin.

A John Hardin senior, Vick signed a commitment letter to play golf next year at Morehead State. He becomes the third local golfer this season to sign with a NCAA Division-I school.

“It’s feels like I’m done, but it’s only starting,” Vick said. “It’s a four-year milestone that I’ve completed. I never thought this would happen. It’s definitely a dream come true. It feels good to know where I’m going. There’s no more pressure, just go play and have fun.”

Vick joins North Hardin’s Ryan Daniels as part of Morehead State’s recruiting class. Vick and Daniels are good friends and Vick said that played a factor in his decision.

“That was another deciding factor,” Vick said. “We had talked about playing together in high school and now we’ll get the chance. It will be good. I will be in a new place, but I’ll have my best friend with me. It will be interesting.”

Vick looked at several schools, narrowing it down to Morehead State and Spalding University in Louisville. In the end, Vick felt like Morehead State fit what he was looking for in a college.

“Morehead has 8,000 students on campus and Spalding is a lot smaller,” Vick said. “I wanted the full college experience. I’ll get that there. Coach (Rex) Chaney is a really fun guy and they have a great golf course in Eagle Trace. It’s going to be nice.”

Vick’s father, Wayne, said Chaney’s honesty during the recruiting process helped sell the program. Morehead State didn’t enter the process until late in the season. Chaney had already handed out the scholarships for the 2012 season.

But Chaney told Vick as long as he is performing to expectations that he would be given a chance to earn a scholarship next season. Vick, who will earn a roster spot, will be able to practice with the team and qualify for tournaments.

“It’s amazing to see him do this after the amount of hours he put in,” Wayne said. “Growing up he played every sport since he was seven. We’re very excited to see all his hard work pay off. He set goals for himself and it’s going to see him meet those goals. He’s got a wonderful opportunity.”

Being close to home will give Wayne and his wife, Kelly, the opportunity to see their son play from time to time.

“We’re happy he’s not too far,” Wayne said. “We might be able to sneak away to see him. But we want him to feel like he’s going to college. We felt like Morehead has a nice mix of freedom, but it’s not too far away. It’s going to be good for him. Coach Chaney will be good for him.”

Vick is coming off a strong senior season which saw him win two invitationals. He tied for third at the 5th Region Tournament to qualify for the state tournament. He shot a two-over-par 74 on the first day of State before carding an 85 on the final day to finish tied for 35th.

“I really enjoyed my senior year,” Vick said. “It was a great year. I guess you can say it ended with a bang. It feels really good right now. To being going to Morehead, it’s the icing on the cake.”

Chuck Jonescan be reached at (270) 505-1759 or cjones@thenewsenterprise.com.