Kansas State University Athletics
SE: A Conversation Between K-State Golf Champions: 1951’s Graham Hunt and 2018’s Jeremy Gandon
May 21, 2018 | Men's Golf, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Two people in the history of K-State men's golf have won individual conference championships.
Graham Hunt accomplished the feat in 1951 at the Milburn Country Club in Kansas City, when it was the Big Seven Conference. Last month, junior Jeremy Gandon became the second when he shared the Big 12 Championship title at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
These two Wildcats, forever in the school's record book, got the opportunity to meet each other last Thursday at Colbert Hills over lunch. The conversation between Hunt, an 85-year-old from Kansas City, and Gandon, a 21-year-old from France, is everything one might expect and more.
Before lunch, Hunt, only half-joking, tells Gandon: "I'm not one of those guys that thinks that records are made to be broken."
From there, they talk about how they got to K-State, share their beginnings in golf and marvel in how much the game has changed between the 67-year gap of their accomplishments.
Hunt starts with a story from 1951, when he was on a train car to Columbus, Ohio, to play in the NCAA Championship, a trip he said he had to "pass around a hat" for money to afford. The real story, however, is who was on the train with him.
"I went back to the club car and the only other person there was a guy by the name of Ronald Reagan, and he was on his way to St. Louis to promote his latest movie," Hunt says, likely referring to "Bedtime for Bonzo," which came out in 1951. "We visited all the way to St. Louis."
Many years later, Hunt says he was on a flight in first class when, sure enough, Reagan sat down in the aisle across from him. Hunt made a point to do a re-introduction, but it wasn't necessary.
"He stopped me and said, 'Oh yeah, we were on a train to St. Louis and you were going to play in a golf tournament. How did you do?'" Hunt recalls, before turning to Gandon. "See what golf gets you into? The president of the United States of America."
Laughter filled the room, the first of many times.
Gandon, who had just flown in from California from playing at the NCAA Pacific Regional, asks Hunt a question when it quieted.
"Did you keep playing after college?"
"Oh yeah, I played a lot of golf after college," Hunt responds.
"Did you try to play professionally?" Gandon counters, before getting a brief history lesson on Byron Nelson, one of golf's all-time greats who won 18 tournaments in 1945, including 11 in a row, but earned less than $65,000 that year.
"That was not the road to prosperity," Hunt says of the PGA Tour, with a chuckle.
Hunt, who made a career in the investment business, shifts the conversation back to Gandon. His curiosity wants to know how the latest Wildcat champion ended up in Manhattan, Kansas, from France.
"It's because of him," Gandon answers, nodding left to K-State head coach Grant Robbins, who discovered the French talent at the 2013 British Boys Amateur. "He sent me an email. I wanted to go to the U.S., anyway, just to study. I thought K-State was the best place to go."
"Well we're mighty glad you became a Wildcat," responds Hunt, whose journey to K-State was much shorter in distance but also included turning down a scholarship offer from Duke.
"My folks wouldn't let me take it," he says. "What they said was, 'If you don't make the golf team we can't afford to keep you at Duke, and we don't want your college education to hang on a four-foot putt.' So, I went to K-State and I never regretted it."
The two eventually talk about their families and how they started playing golf.
Gandon grew up on a course in France and began playing at around 8 years old with his older brother, Sebastien, who recently turned pro in Europe.
Hunt began close to age 12 when his parents moved to a place roughly three or four blocks from Milburn Country Club, the site where he won his eventual conference title as a sophomore at K-State.
Hunt did not initially know what golf was when he rode by the course on his horse, but his father eventually took him out to play. Hunt loved it so much that he sold his horse and caddied all summer to afford membership at the nearby club.
"That's how I came to play golf," Hunt finishes.
At one point, both Wildcats ask about each other's equipment at K-State.
"The woods were woods," Hunt says. "We didn't have the technology that you have today."
"It's just crazy how it's changed over time," Gandon replies.
They talk about their golf idols — Ben Hogan for Hunt and Tiger Woods for Gandon, two of the greatest golfers ever for two of the most accomplished to play for K-State.
Hunt goes on to share many more stories from his life on the course. Gandon listens to each with intrigue.
As the conversation winds down and stories seem to start running dry, Gandon asks Hunt if he still plays golf. Hunt says a number of health issues a few years ago kept him off the course but that he's feeling better and starting to swing again. He's even taking lessons from a former K-State golfer, Matt Murdoch, at Mission Hills Country Club.
This prompts Hunt to ask if he can see Gandon hit some balls at the range. So the two conference champions make their way to the elevated range area at Colbert Hills, where Gandon starts rocketing balls with his eight-iron.
"I don't hit the ball as far as you hit the divot," Hunt says between shots, complimenting Gandon's swing.
Then Hunt walks to Gandon, shakes his hand and ends with a supportive message.
"You deserve to win the conference championship," Hunt says, "and tie my record."
Two people in the history of K-State men's golf have won individual conference championships.
Graham Hunt accomplished the feat in 1951 at the Milburn Country Club in Kansas City, when it was the Big Seven Conference. Last month, junior Jeremy Gandon became the second when he shared the Big 12 Championship title at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
These two Wildcats, forever in the school's record book, got the opportunity to meet each other last Thursday at Colbert Hills over lunch. The conversation between Hunt, an 85-year-old from Kansas City, and Gandon, a 21-year-old from France, is everything one might expect and more.
Before lunch, Hunt, only half-joking, tells Gandon: "I'm not one of those guys that thinks that records are made to be broken."
From there, they talk about how they got to K-State, share their beginnings in golf and marvel in how much the game has changed between the 67-year gap of their accomplishments.
Hunt starts with a story from 1951, when he was on a train car to Columbus, Ohio, to play in the NCAA Championship, a trip he said he had to "pass around a hat" for money to afford. The real story, however, is who was on the train with him.
"I went back to the club car and the only other person there was a guy by the name of Ronald Reagan, and he was on his way to St. Louis to promote his latest movie," Hunt says, likely referring to "Bedtime for Bonzo," which came out in 1951. "We visited all the way to St. Louis."
Many years later, Hunt says he was on a flight in first class when, sure enough, Reagan sat down in the aisle across from him. Hunt made a point to do a re-introduction, but it wasn't necessary.
"He stopped me and said, 'Oh yeah, we were on a train to St. Louis and you were going to play in a golf tournament. How did you do?'" Hunt recalls, before turning to Gandon. "See what golf gets you into? The president of the United States of America."
Laughter filled the room, the first of many times.
Gandon, who had just flown in from California from playing at the NCAA Pacific Regional, asks Hunt a question when it quieted.
"Did you keep playing after college?"
"Oh yeah, I played a lot of golf after college," Hunt responds.
"Did you try to play professionally?" Gandon counters, before getting a brief history lesson on Byron Nelson, one of golf's all-time greats who won 18 tournaments in 1945, including 11 in a row, but earned less than $65,000 that year.
"That was not the road to prosperity," Hunt says of the PGA Tour, with a chuckle.
Hunt, who made a career in the investment business, shifts the conversation back to Gandon. His curiosity wants to know how the latest Wildcat champion ended up in Manhattan, Kansas, from France.
"It's because of him," Gandon answers, nodding left to K-State head coach Grant Robbins, who discovered the French talent at the 2013 British Boys Amateur. "He sent me an email. I wanted to go to the U.S., anyway, just to study. I thought K-State was the best place to go."
"Well we're mighty glad you became a Wildcat," responds Hunt, whose journey to K-State was much shorter in distance but also included turning down a scholarship offer from Duke.
"My folks wouldn't let me take it," he says. "What they said was, 'If you don't make the golf team we can't afford to keep you at Duke, and we don't want your college education to hang on a four-foot putt.' So, I went to K-State and I never regretted it."
The two eventually talk about their families and how they started playing golf.
Gandon grew up on a course in France and began playing at around 8 years old with his older brother, Sebastien, who recently turned pro in Europe.
Hunt began close to age 12 when his parents moved to a place roughly three or four blocks from Milburn Country Club, the site where he won his eventual conference title as a sophomore at K-State.
Hunt did not initially know what golf was when he rode by the course on his horse, but his father eventually took him out to play. Hunt loved it so much that he sold his horse and caddied all summer to afford membership at the nearby club.
"That's how I came to play golf," Hunt finishes.
At one point, both Wildcats ask about each other's equipment at K-State.
"The woods were woods," Hunt says. "We didn't have the technology that you have today."
"It's just crazy how it's changed over time," Gandon replies.
They talk about their golf idols — Ben Hogan for Hunt and Tiger Woods for Gandon, two of the greatest golfers ever for two of the most accomplished to play for K-State.
Hunt goes on to share many more stories from his life on the course. Gandon listens to each with intrigue.
As the conversation winds down and stories seem to start running dry, Gandon asks Hunt if he still plays golf. Hunt says a number of health issues a few years ago kept him off the course but that he's feeling better and starting to swing again. He's even taking lessons from a former K-State golfer, Matt Murdoch, at Mission Hills Country Club.
This prompts Hunt to ask if he can see Gandon hit some balls at the range. So the two conference champions make their way to the elevated range area at Colbert Hills, where Gandon starts rocketing balls with his eight-iron.
"I don't hit the ball as far as you hit the divot," Hunt says between shots, complimenting Gandon's swing.
Then Hunt walks to Gandon, shakes his hand and ends with a supportive message.
"You deserve to win the conference championship," Hunt says, "and tie my record."
Players Mentioned
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