The game of golf was a complicated one, and golfers were always attempting to improve their game.Seeking improvement took time, and, in some places, nature simply did not allow golfers to practice a desirable amount.However, for junior Andrew Warder, moving from Canada to play golf at Harding was a very beneficial change in scenery. Warder, from Petrolia, Ontario, Canada, started playing golf at the age of five when his father, a former college golfer in England, cut down an old set of clubs for him. After finding the clubs in their garage, Warder said his dad would take him out on the course all the time to teach him.This early instruction would eventually lead Warder to Searcy, Arkansas, where he would begin golfing at the collegiate level. “I really wanted to play college golf, and I noticed Harding had a really good business school,”Warder said.“That made my decision very clear.” Since playing at Harding, Warder found himself ranked fourth all-time at Harding in stroke average with a 76.3 in 41 rounds.This success was not easily achieved though. “It was really strange to come down to Arkansas to play,” Warder said. “It was a huge culture shock, and I really didn’t know what to expect.” Head men’s golf coach Nicky Boyd said that he heard good things about Warder before the two even met, but his game had done nothing but improve since arriving at Harding. “He has gotten better and better every year, and it is mainly because he loves to play and loves to practice,” Boyd said. “He is really dedicated.” Warder attributed his success to the weather in Arkansas. “When I was at home in Canada, we could only play five months out of the year,”Warder said.“Playing in Arkansas means we can play pretty much all year round, so that way I can keep practicing and not really lose that much feel for the game. And when it does get cold here, it’s not really that bad considering the conditions that I’ve played in at home.” Boyd saidWarder’s fundamentals had always been very solid, and he sought to help Warder improve his game by providing him with tough competition and challenging places to play. Warder turned these opportunities into success on the course, and,in turn,Boyd said thatWarder had been the most consistent golfer he ever coached. Besides winning on the course,Warder was a strong leader. “He was a really good leader mainly through his example, because the rest of the team saw how he worked and his attitude on the course,” Boyd said. “I’m hoping he can help us get a lot of players where he’s from.” Warder did not only help the younger players on the Harding team but helped teach players at his home in Canada. “I tried to help younger players at my home course inCanada,” Warder said. “We put on junior clinics for them where we help them with their swing and also their course management skills.” Although he had enjoyedmany successes on the course,Warder said he was most proud of his first place finish at the 2007 First Community Bank Scots Invitational.Warder went on to say that he hoped to compete at the regional and national tournaments before he finished his career at Harding and that he wanted to make the All-Conference team,too.After finishing his collegiate career,Warder planned to continue playing professionally either in Canada or somewhere else around the world. [Jared Abelson] Neighbor from the north finds success at Harding Junior Andrew Reynolds putts on the No. 2 green at the Searcy Country Club during a team practice Oct. 2. Reynolds placed fourth at the 2007 Bison Fall Classic at the Stone Creek Country Club in North Little Rock, Ark., on Sept. 24. [Craig Rainbolt] OPPORTUNITY 270 [athletics]
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