While Tyler Duncan continues to hold his own against the world’s best golfers in his first year on the PGA Tour, two other Columbus North graduates are hoping to join him.
Jake Coffey, who graduated from Indiana Wesleyan in May 2017, turned pro in January. Michael VanDeventer, who just graduated from Ball State, is turning pro in time for the Indiana Open Championship, which begins Monday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.
“I’ve known Tyler for awhile and have talked with him a lot,” VanDeventer said. “To be able to see how he’s progressed and on the big stage out there, it’s very cool to see someone that you know and that I’ve kind of been able to compare myself to over the years. It’s encouraging to see him out there doing it.”
VanDeventer is hoping to follow a similar path as Duncan. After graduating from Purdue, Duncan played on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, then the Web.com Tour before earning full-time PGA Tour status last fall.
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After the Indiana Open, VanDeventer plans to play in two tournaments in Iowa later this month. He then plans to move to Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and prepare to go to qualifying school for either the Web.com Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamerica or Canada’s Mackenzie Tour.
“I’ve been playing golf for awhile now and watching the tournaments on TV,” VanDeventer said. “Now, being able to see some of my peers that I played high school golf with going out there and doing it, it’s definitely encouraging and motivating. I feel like I’m still getting better, and I feel like I can get a lot better still, so I’m looking forward to doing that full-time and seeing how far I can take it.”
Coffey, meanwhile, is taking a little bit different approach. After graduating from college last spring, he began working full-time doing auditing for the Indiana State Board of Accounts.
Fortunately for Coffey, he is able to work Monday through Thursday, so he can play in some weekend tournaments.
“There’s (pro golfers) that borrow money from people,” Coffey said. “I’m just trying to save my own money for the time being, which means work this job. At some point in the future, I’d like to do a very similar route to what Tyler did.”
Coffey has played in two Swing Thought Tour (formerly Hooters Tour) events and two qualifiers for the Web.com Tour. He shot even-par and missed the cut by two shots in one of the Web.com qualifiers in Savannah.
In a Swing Thought Tour event in Louisville, Coffey shot 71-71 and was four shots off the lead. But since only 15 golfers showed up to play, and only the top third made the cut, he was left on the outside.
“I was a little disappointed to put two good rounds together and be four shots back and not make the cut because I was right there,” Coffey said. “But I’m really happy right now that I could turn things around there because I started off really poorly in my first few events.”
Coffey is a three-time city champion. VanDeventer shared high school state medalist honors with teammate and classmate Christian Fairbanks in 2014 when they led the Bull Dogs to the state team title.
Teaching pro Jeff Smith, who has worked extensively with both Coffey and VanDeventer, is confident the pair can someday join Duncan on the PGA Tour.
“If Michael and Jake don’t make it, it won’t be because of lack of effort,” Smith said. “They’re two of the hardest-working kids I’ve dealt with.”
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Name: Jake Coffey
Age: 23
High school: Columbus North
College: Indiana Wesleyan
Honors: Three-time city champion, three-time All-Crossroads League (2014, 2015, 2017), two-time Crossroads League medalist (2015, 2017), IWU men’s golf Champions of Character Award (2017)
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Name: Michael VanDeventer
Age: 22
High school: Columbus North
College: Ball State
Honors: Four time All-State selection, state co-medalist (2014), Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar (2017), Academic All-MAC (2016, 2017), MAC Golfer of the Week (twice), MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week
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