Andover's Krekorian is still tearing up the links after All-American season

Brett Krekorian is well aware of the mental strain golf takes on a player.

The Andover High graduate (Class of 2013) is pretty straightforward about his game. And during his first two years at Division 2 Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina, Krekorian, for lack of a better phrase, wasn’t up to par.

Well, his par at least.

An Eagle-Tribune All-Star his senior year at Andover, Krekorian was the co-MVC Player of the Year that fall. He took a year off from school before heading to Limestone — a school with an enrollment of only 2,955 as of 2016 — and in his first two years held, in his mind, mediocre scoring averages of 77.29 and 76.65 respectively.

“There were a lot of trials and tribulation,” said Krekorian.

That wasn’t to be entirely unexpected, however. Making the transition to a Division 2 school, especially one in the south where golfers can play year round, is a challenge. 

But Krekorian persevered.

Last year as a junior, the 6-foot righty had a breakout season, highlighted when he was named a Golf Coaches Association of American Division 2 Third-Team All-American. He became the first member of the Limestone golf program to be named to any All-American team.

Krekorian finished ranked No. 15 in Division 2 in the Golfstat NCAA rankings with an even-par stroke average of 72.04. He was a semifinalist for the Jack Nicklaus Division 2 Player of the Year award, was named to the All-Southeast Region team and was a First-Team All-Conference Carolina’s selection.

Basically, Krekorian found his swing.

“I just always kept working,” he said. “I’ve just been trying to steadily get better each day.”

There hasn’t been any slowing down as a senior.

In fact, Krekorian wants to end his collegiate career with a bang.

“For me, my goal is to be in the National Player of the Year mix,” he said. “I’m going to need to win some tournaments to get there, but I’ve got time. Also, for my last year on the team I want to get to the national championship. I think we can do it.”

In the three matches he’s played this fall, Krekorian has been his team’s low scorer twice and has a team-best stroke average of 70.50. He earned the Conference Carolina’s Bimonthly Golfer of the Month Award after leading Limestone to a win with a two-day total of 138 (-2) — which was good for fourth overall — at the 14-team Coker Fall Challenge. 

“It’s been going pretty good,” said Krekorian. “I know I’m going to need to keep working and win some tournaments, though. I just want to keep getting better.”

After college, Krekorian, an Economics major, thinks that he will look to pursue golf professionally. 

“It’s a tough question to answer,” he said. “It’s not like you get drafted or anything. But I can’t see not golfing competitively in my future.”

During the summer, however, you can bet Krekorian is tearing it up on the links back home.

“I still like coming home in the summer,” he said. “The quality of the courses up here are just as good as any that I’ve played at school.”

U.S. Amateur flare

If Andover’s Brett Krekorian had his way, he would probably only play at U.S. Amateur qualifying events.

The senior at Limestone (S.C.) College has three career hole in ones, and two have come during such qualifiers.

“I’ve played in five qualifiers, which is about 10 rounds,” said Krekorian. “To have two hole in ones playing in those events is pretty crazy.”

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“For me, my goal is to be in the National Player of the Year mix.”

Brett Krekorian