Grant Booth will turn professional once he graduates, according to Nevada Men’s Golf coach Jacob Wilner. That’s high praise for the senior who hails all the way from Sydney, Australia. His success over the past three seasons has put him at the top of the ranks with some of the best golfers in Wolf Pack history.

Growing up, Booth excelled at cricket, soccer, and golf. Eventually having to choose between cricket and golf, Booth chose the latter. Coming out of high school abroad, even though Booth was recruited by bigger schools like Florida State and Washington State, he felt that Reno was the best fit.

Wilner first encountered Booth at a formal recruiting event where coaches from across the nation attend to network and recruit aspiring collegiate golfers.

“I met Grant at a College Golf Camp of America in San Diego where he was competing,” Wilner said. “The camp offered players around the world the opportunity to talk to coaches and gain insight on the education of what the college process is. I saw Grant play and instantly was attracted to his ability and how he carries himself, his attitude, and he’s just got a great personality.”

Part of the recruiting pitch to bring him to the Wolf Pack was the pipeline of Australian-born athletes who were already with the program.

“I knew one or two of the guys on the team at the time,” Booth said. “So that kind of helped me make the move up here.”

When he was being recruited to come over from Australia to the United States, Booth was familiar and previously played with Nick Fuller and Nicholas Smith who both had successful golf careers at Nevada.

Reflecting back on his time with the Wolf Pack, Wilner has enjoyed watching the progression of his pupil. Wilner fondly remembers that first encounter with Booth.

“That was four years ago and it’s been awesome to watch him grow,” Wilner said. “His work ethic is amazing and doesn’t take anything for granted. He touches all the bases he needs to work on. His fitness, diet, and practices and takes ownership over his golf game. He’s extremely well rounded.”

During his time with the Wolf Pack, Booth has been a three-time letter winner, made an appearance in the NCAA Regionals as a top 30 performer, and last year set the single-season Nevada record for the best average score at 71.64.

Last season, Booth posted a 58-10 individual record according to the Mountain West Conference standings. This year, he is hoping for another successful season by building off last year.

“I feel like I’m heading in the right direction and so is our team,” Booth said. “We’ve got a good group of guys now so we’re just trying to feed off each other. The number one goal is to make Regionals as a team.”

Golf takes patience, and the season spans throughout the whole school year. There are five tournaments in the fall, and four in the spring. Each tournament is spread out throughout the months, usually separated by two or three weeks. For the weeks in-between, Booth is practicing and improving every day.

“Booth has gradually gotten better over the past three seasons,” Wilner said. “He’s addressed some issues that was keeping him back which was his putting which has gotten better. His pitching and short game is phenomenal, and he manages his game really well.”

In May, Booth qualified for the NCAA Regionals which is a rare accomplishment given that only 60 athletes qualify out of 3,000 eligible college golfers.

Booth knows the road ahead will be tough, but he’s got the tools and the drive to succeed professionally. His skill set can translate well into the professional realm, and if Booth keeps doing what he’s been doing, we might just see a Wolf Pack alum on the PGA Tour.