CONWAY, S.C. – Morgan Deneen is a former Coastal Carolina golfer from California.  He walked on the men’s golf team as a senior in the University’s PGA Golf Management program in 2017-18 and won the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament, so the team welcomed him back for his final year of eligibility the following season in 2018-19.  Deneen says that he learned a lot in his two years on the team and he loved it.  
 
During his two years as a member of the Chanticleer men’s golf program from 2017-19, he won the 2018 Sun Belt Championship in record form with a 203, 10-under par, 54-hole tournament score. His score, at the time, was the best score ever by a Chanticleer in a conference championship event.
 
He was also named the 2017-18 Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the 2017-18 All-Sun Belt first team, all while helping Coastal win the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Golf Championship team title.
 
He also got the job done in the classroom being named a Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-America Scholar in both 2018 and 2019.  
 
He turned pro after his time at Coastal Carolina and planned to travel to China to play golf, but due to COVID-19, his plans changed. He got his PGA accreditation and played in the Korn Ferry Tournament last year after qualifying for the 2021 LECOM Suncoast Classic Open. 
 
Deneen will now make his PGA Tour debut at the 2022 RBC Heritage this Thursday, April 14th in Hilton Head, S.C., and says he is really looking forward to playing against some of the best players in the world. 
 
“I’m not only excited to play against the best, but to play my best against the best,” said Deneen.  
 
Playing in these other tournaments has allowed him to grow as a golfer. He says the biggest difference between the tours like PGA and Korn Ferry and other tournaments is the competition.  
 
“Everyone in the PGA and Korn Ferry tours does the right thing every time.” 
Deneen says his biggest advice to college athletes trying to make it to the next level is to be disciplined in their day-to-day routine and to accept advice and help from others. 
 
“I never really had a shot, and this is my first shot at the big boy tour. I’m just excited to get my spring season rolling into the summer,” says Deneen.

Courtesy – Coastal Carolina Athletics