Grand View men’s golf coach Chris Winkel didn’t think that his son, Jack, wanted to play for the Vikings.
In the end, though, the Ankeny Centennial senior decided to stay close to home. Jack picked Grand View over Upper Iowa and Northern Iowa.
“My dad was actually very surprised to hear I wanted to play for him,” said Jack. “The main reason I decided to commit at Grand View is just because I know so much about the program and know I will fit in nicely.”
Winkel helped Centennial to the CIML Iowa Conference dual-meet title last season. One of his teammates, Ethan King, has also signed with the Vikings.
Winkel, a three-time state qualifier, tied for fourth place in Class 4A in the 2021 state meet. He posted a 36-hole total of 144.
Winkel led the Jaguars last year with a 37.2 average. He was a 10-time medalist and a six-time runner-up in his career.
Winkel was named the 2021 Iowa PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year in the 16-18 year old division. He racked up 2,027.33 Player of the Year points.
Winkel’s older brother, CJ, was also a standout at Centennial who went on to play for Oklahoma City University. Jack thought about carving his own path as well, but eventually decided to play for his father.
“It was a tough decision,” he said. “I was considering a couple other schools, but ultimately decided with Grand View.”