April 15, 2008

By: Willie T. Smith III Greater Greer News

Greenville, S.C. -- When it comes to sports, Austin Reeves has always been a man for all seasons.

Growing up he displayed an ability to overachieve in baseball, basketball and golf. In high school, football joined the list.

While his ability to excel in a plethora of sports was good for Eastside High School, Reeves never had the opportunity to specialize in one sport.

That changed when Reeves received a scholarship to Furman University to play golf. Reeves has watched his game improve steadily as a freshman.

"I can't get hit playing golf," joked Reeves, who played quarterback at Eastside. "The (Furman) coaches have been very helpful, especially with the short-game stuff.

"I am concentrating on one thing a lot better than having to go to summer camps to play golf for a while, then go play football for a while. Golf is a lot easier to concentrate on and stay in a rhythm this way."

Reeves has moved into the Paladins' top five rotation for most of the team's tournaments.

"I guess he was a little bit the typical freshman, a little bit inconsistent," Furman coach Todd Satter field said. "I can see a lot of day-to-day improvement in him. I can see it coming on."

Reeves never expected Furman would be his college destination, but a trip to the campus quickly changed his thinking.

"I was looking at a few other smaller schools, but when I went on some of those visits, the golf teams -- some of them seemed like they weren't there to play golf," Reeves said. "I came here. I had not really thought about coming here. But they've got the coaching, the guys are great, the school is good and it is close to home."

Reeves concedes the ad- justment to college golf has been difficult.

"Usually in high school you've only got two or three good players on a team, whereas here everybody is good," Reeves said. "Competing within the team, trying to make the tournament, I think has improved all our games. It makes you focus a lot more."