Kaiser signs with North Alabama

PLYMOUTH, Ind. — On the evening he climbed to the top of the leaderboard at the national championship, Mississippi Gulf Coast All-American Chase Kaiser signed a letter of intent to continue his collegiate golf career at NCAA Division I North Alabama.

The sophomore heads into the final round at the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship on Swan Lake Resort's Black Course in a six-way tie for first place at 3-under. He'll keep playing in Florence, Ala.

"I went up there for my visit, and I just fell in love with the place," Kaiser said. "I loved everything about. The school is great, and the coach is a great guy. He's kind of got his own fresh start going, which I like."

He'll be playing for Coach Luke Calcatera, who took over before this season. Kaiser follows in the footsteps of Gulf Coast assistant coach Jackson Wedgeworth, who was an All-ASUN performer for the Lions.

UNA is getting a student-athlete who compiled a 3.90 GPA in civil engineering at Gulf Coast. He'll be swapping majors to finance.

"Chase has been one of the best kids you could ask for as a student-athlete," Gulf Coast coach Brad Thornton said. "He handles his business in the classroom. On the golf course, he continued to improve. He's a hard worker and everything you want to see in an athlete here at Gulf Coast."

Kaiser can set a new school record by winning Friday. It would be his sixth victory of the 2022-23 season, breaking a tie with Grant Motter (2014-15) and Hayes Weathersby (2013-14). He was named to the PING All-American First Team here before the tournament started, having picked up All-MACCC and All-Gulf District spots earlier in the season.

"Gulf Coast has been the best two years of my life," Kaiser said. "I've met so many amazing people. Coach Brad and Coach (Tommy) Snell brought over a kid from Natchez nobody had really heard of. They gave me an opportunity to play and further my career, and I look up and get two years more to play at a really good school. I can't thank Gulf Coast enough."

For more information on MGCCC's 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.