Moorefield High School alum (2026) Drake Kimble competed in the West Virginia Golf Open qualifying tournament at the Club at Cress Creek last Tuesday in a final curtain call before starting his academic journey at Methodist University.
Kimble finished tied for 12th place overall in the WV Open qualifier with 81 strokes which was beyond the final cut by only three strokes.
The Top-8 earned a spot in the WV Open.
“I didn’t make the cut. I haven’t played in as many tournaments thus year as I’m getting ready to start my first semester at college, but I do look forward to competing in the past and don’t plan on this being my last chance,” Drake Kimble remarked.
“I felt really good about my round all day. It just came down to a few pivotal moments I hadn’t been in before and the pressure got a little bit too big for me, but that’s how you grow in this game and I continue to look forward to getting these opportunities more and more.”
Kimble is a student of the game of golf and is constantly learning and improving along the way through the adversity.
“It’s a course that I have struggled with in the past. This is my second tournament there and the second one that I came up just short down the stretch.”
Kimble was paired on the course with another Methodist University student.
Fellow Potomac Valley Conference member, Peyton Van Meter from Hampshire, garnered a WV Open roster nod with a sixth place finish in 77 strokes.
The top two champions from Parkersburg and Martinsburg had cards of 71.
Kimble was disappointed in his performance on this challenging course, but knows it is a stepping stone to future success in his studies of the game of golf.
Kimble will be pursuing a degree in professional golf management at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Kimble hasn’t officially signed with the golf team, but is thrilled to become a Monarch.
“I haven’t actually signed. Technically, I wasn’t recruited by the school, but that’s something to attribute to how skillful and determined this program is and how great of an atmosphere they have to keep it competitive at every level. I’m extremely excited to pursue professional golf management as it furthers my career in the industry as well as getting connections to people all across the state, country and world within the industry,” Kimble noted.
Methodist University was chartered in 1956 and features over 600 acres and has a chapel for students to worship.
“I love everything about Methodist and the campus from the people to the school size. To the amazing golf facilities that they have directly on campus. Everything about it seems like home to me and that’s why I’m so excited to further my education there. There’s actually a chapel on campus and there is a lot of opportunity to further my faith which is another part that I fell in love with when I visited down there,” Kimble commented.
The Monarchs compete in the NCAA Division III within the USA South Athletic Conference.
The Monarchs Golf coach is Steven Conley.
