Murray State University Athletics
Racers Newcomers Tee It Up
8/9/2024 4:48:00 PM | Men's Golf
Murray State Coach Jacob Miller welcomes a quartet of newcomers to the program this fall
With fall qualifying set for August, Murray State men's golf head coach Jacob Miller welcomes four new student-athletes to the 2024-25 roster.
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All from the state of Kentucky, the new faces include a pair of freshman in Sam Guest from Louisville and Tyler Wirth of La Grange and sophomores from Paducah, Peyton Purvis and Rocco Zakutney.
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The fall season begins for the Racers (Sept. 9-10) at the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational. MSU's home tournament, The Buddy, honors Coach Buddy Hewitt, the founder of the program and a Murray State Hall of Famer. The Buddy is played at Miller Memorial Golf Course (Oct. 14-15).
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Sam Guest (Fr., Louisville, Ky. / Martha Layne Collins HS)
"Sam is a very talented young player with a lot of exposure in big events. He comes to Murray State with a lot of tournament experience. I am excited to see his impact in our program."
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Peyton Purvis (So., Paducah, Ky. / McCracken County HS)
"I have known Peyton since before my time at Murray State. After playing one year at Mizzou, I am incredibly excited to have him spend the rest of his college career with us as a Racer. He has had a lot of wins in national junior events and will be a vital part to our success in the future."
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Tyler Wirth (Fr., La Grange, Ky. / Oldham County HS)
"Tyler has shown that he can play with the best players in the state. He is a player that I have been after since I first got to Murray. I am incredibly excited to have him join our program and help elevate the Racers in the coming years."
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Rocco Zakutney (Fr., Paducah, Ky. / St. Mary HS)
"Rocco is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. With his older brother, Matthew playing for Coach Hunt, Rocco also wanted to be a Racer and help take our program to the next level. He is going to be a vital part of our team in making sure our team is prepared as possible come competition time. I am very thankful he is going to be wearing the Blue and Gold for the next 3 years!"
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Follow the Racers on Twitter (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics. Follow Murray State men's golf on Twitter and Instagram (@RacersMGolf).
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All from the state of Kentucky, the new faces include a pair of freshman in Sam Guest from Louisville and Tyler Wirth of La Grange and sophomores from Paducah, Peyton Purvis and Rocco Zakutney.
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The fall season begins for the Racers (Sept. 9-10) at the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational. MSU's home tournament, The Buddy, honors Coach Buddy Hewitt, the founder of the program and a Murray State Hall of Famer. The Buddy is played at Miller Memorial Golf Course (Oct. 14-15).
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Sam Guest (Fr., Louisville, Ky. / Martha Layne Collins HS)
- Five KHSAA individual wins
- Three-time KHSAA State Championship qualifier (finished 3rd in 2022)
- Scoring average of 71 last two years of high school golf
- 2023 First Team Kentucky All-State
- Ranked nationally 130th on JGS and 88th on AJGA for class of 2024
- 2024 Kentucky Junior PGA Champion
- Two-time Junior PGA Champion Qualifier (top 40 finish both years)
- Two Top-6 finishes in AJGA
- Two Top-10 finishes in Kentucky State Amateur and Kentucky Open
"Sam is a very talented young player with a lot of exposure in big events. He comes to Murray State with a lot of tournament experience. I am excited to see his impact in our program."
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Peyton Purvis (So., Paducah, Ky. / McCracken County HS)
- Two AJGA victories
- Four time winner on Hurricane Junior Tour
- Three wins on the Southeast Junior Tour
- Six Top-10 finishes on other junior tours
- Ranked Top-200 nationally on JGS and Top-150 on AJGA for class of 2023
"I have known Peyton since before my time at Murray State. After playing one year at Mizzou, I am incredibly excited to have him spend the rest of his college career with us as a Racer. He has had a lot of wins in national junior events and will be a vital part to our success in the future."
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Tyler Wirth (Fr., La Grange, Ky. / Oldham County HS)
- 2023 Kentucky First Team All-State
- Finished third for Kentucky Mr. Golf award in 2023
- Runner up in KHSAA State Championship
- KHSAA Region-6 Runner up
- Won Junior Falls Cities Championship
- Had a scoring average of 72 in his high school career
"Tyler has shown that he can play with the best players in the state. He is a player that I have been after since I first got to Murray. I am incredibly excited to have him join our program and help elevate the Racers in the coming years."
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Rocco Zakutney (Fr., Paducah, Ky. / St. Mary HS)
- Won West Kentucky Championship
- Won Kentucky Cup Championship
- Was a US Open sectional qualifier
- Qualified for the Junior PGA Championship
- Posted 10 Individual victories in high school golf
- Won KHSAA Region-I individual championship
- Earned Kentucky First Team All-State
- As a senior, produced a scoring average of 70.6
- His brother, Matthew, played for Murray State from 2013-17
"Rocco is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. With his older brother, Matthew playing for Coach Hunt, Rocco also wanted to be a Racer and help take our program to the next level. He is going to be a vital part of our team in making sure our team is prepared as possible come competition time. I am very thankful he is going to be wearing the Blue and Gold for the next 3 years!"
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Follow the Racers on Twitter (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics. Follow Murray State men's golf on Twitter and Instagram (@RacersMGolf).
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