The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Saving the Best for Last: Mathers’ One and Only Division I Season
5/24/2021 9:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
BIRMINGHAM – Drew Mathers is an All-American you may have never heard of before. But the redshirt senior is making a name for himself in his one and only year playing Division I golf.
Mathers was a two-time Division III First Team All-American at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., but like everyone else, his 2020 season ended abruptly due to COVID-19.
"When COVID happened I honestly didn't know exactly what was going to happen in the future," Mathers said. "I had everything pretty much mapped out for the summer as far as professional tournaments go. But COVID put a hold on all of that, so I entered the transfer portal."
And head coach Mike Wilson is sure glad he did.
Mathers has excelled in his only season for the Blazers, and his only season playing the highest level of collegiate golf. The Second Team All-Conference USA selection just led UAB at the NCAA Noblesville Regional with a team-best 16th place finish. He now gets to cap his collegiate career by competing for a national championship.
Mathers was no secret once his name hit the transfer portal. He had interest from other schools such as Auburn, Vanderbilt, TCU, USF and UCF to name a few. But UAB's prestigious golf reputation, along with a few other key factors landed Mathers in Birmingham.
"UAB was first or second on my list for the time I was trying to decide. Mostly because it is close to home, Birmingham is a great golf city and I knew most of the team to begin with. So I knew I wouldn't feel uncomfortable on the team."
The Mobile native has played all 27 rounds for the Blazers and has the third lowest stroke average on the team. His 65 at the Graeme McDowell Invitational is the lowest round of any UAB player this season, and he is tied with Nick Robillard for the most top 20 finishes on the team with six.
And for Mathers, this Division I experience is what he needed to prove to himself that he belonged amongst the nation's elite golfers.
"I have enjoyed the competition at the Division I level and the extremely nice golf courses we have had the opportunity to play. Playing well in a Division I tournament gives me that much more confidence because it shows that I can play with some of the best players in the country. Some of those guys we go head-to-head with at these tournaments will be on the PGA Tour in a couple of years."
Like last summer, Mathers has plans to turn professional following his college career. He will play mini tour tournaments and possibly some Monday qualifiers this summer.
But his final collegiate chapter is still unwritten as Mathers and the Blazers head to Scottsdale this week to battle 29 other teams for NCAA supremacy. UAB qualified for its eighth NCAA Championship after a fifth place finish at the NCAA Noblesville Regional and earned the right to battle for the national championship.
And regardless of the outcome, Mathers will go down as one of UAB's most significant graduate transfers ever, and is a major contributor to a Blazer team that is among the best in program history.
Mathers was a two-time Division III First Team All-American at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., but like everyone else, his 2020 season ended abruptly due to COVID-19.
"When COVID happened I honestly didn't know exactly what was going to happen in the future," Mathers said. "I had everything pretty much mapped out for the summer as far as professional tournaments go. But COVID put a hold on all of that, so I entered the transfer portal."
And head coach Mike Wilson is sure glad he did.
Mathers has excelled in his only season for the Blazers, and his only season playing the highest level of collegiate golf. The Second Team All-Conference USA selection just led UAB at the NCAA Noblesville Regional with a team-best 16th place finish. He now gets to cap his collegiate career by competing for a national championship.
Mathers was no secret once his name hit the transfer portal. He had interest from other schools such as Auburn, Vanderbilt, TCU, USF and UCF to name a few. But UAB's prestigious golf reputation, along with a few other key factors landed Mathers in Birmingham.
"UAB was first or second on my list for the time I was trying to decide. Mostly because it is close to home, Birmingham is a great golf city and I knew most of the team to begin with. So I knew I wouldn't feel uncomfortable on the team."
The Mobile native has played all 27 rounds for the Blazers and has the third lowest stroke average on the team. His 65 at the Graeme McDowell Invitational is the lowest round of any UAB player this season, and he is tied with Nick Robillard for the most top 20 finishes on the team with six.
And for Mathers, this Division I experience is what he needed to prove to himself that he belonged amongst the nation's elite golfers.
"I have enjoyed the competition at the Division I level and the extremely nice golf courses we have had the opportunity to play. Playing well in a Division I tournament gives me that much more confidence because it shows that I can play with some of the best players in the country. Some of those guys we go head-to-head with at these tournaments will be on the PGA Tour in a couple of years."
Like last summer, Mathers has plans to turn professional following his college career. He will play mini tour tournaments and possibly some Monday qualifiers this summer.
But his final collegiate chapter is still unwritten as Mathers and the Blazers head to Scottsdale this week to battle 29 other teams for NCAA supremacy. UAB qualified for its eighth NCAA Championship after a fifth place finish at the NCAA Noblesville Regional and earned the right to battle for the national championship.
And regardless of the outcome, Mathers will go down as one of UAB's most significant graduate transfers ever, and is a major contributor to a Blazer team that is among the best in program history.
Players Mentioned
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