LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Adam Duncan, a recent graduate from Colorado Christian University, is preparing for one of amateur golf’s biggest stages after being selected to represent Team USA at the Arnold Palmer Cup.
Duncan, named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Golfer of the Year, has had a standout career at CCU. He helped lead the Cougars to nearly back-to-back NCAA Division Two national titles and earned multiple All-RMAC honors while serving as team captain.
“That’s funny, my reactions are probably a little diminished,” Duncan said. “So I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool. I’ll compete.’ But I realized, I guess, how big of a deal it was when I started being on the watch list for it and stuff like that. But it'll be super fun. I'll get to compete with the best college players from the United States against the best international players that are playing in college. So it's a huge opportunity.”
He is also making history as one of the few non-Division One players chosen for the Palmer Cup, which usually features top Division One golfers.
“Yes, they actually pick one non-Division One golfer, so I knew I had a good chance after kind of looking at my ranking and stuff like that,” Duncan said. “And to get to be one of the first CCU golfers, I feel like really just adds to the history of this program, what we had the past two years, to get to have those accolades. So that's really cool.”
Duncan is also preparing for a major personal milestone: his wedding. Just days after the tournament, he’ll marry his fiancée, whom he met as a freshman on campus.
“It’s super great to get to have these experiences with someone—and soon-to-be wife—so that'll be super fun and really not too stressed. I'm just taking it in stride. I'm super happy and excited,” Duncan said.
Golf wasn’t always his first sport.
“Honestly, I didn’t grow up so much as a golfer. I wanted to be a soccer player, runner or something,” Duncan said. “Then I started picking up golf later in elementary school, and it was really fun. I was really dedicated to it… I just wanted to play in college. Get good enough to play in college. And that worked out. Then I got here, and it's like, well, see if I can get good enough to play professionally. So that's definitely the plan now.”
The Arnold Palmer Cup tees off June 5 in South Carolina and will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel.
