Martin excels on course, in class

We’ve all seen the NCAA commercial — the one that depicts the basketball player wearing a doctor’s mask, the soccer player juggling while playing the violin, and the gymnast balancing on the rings with one hand as he pours liquid into a beaker with the other, a portrait of some kind of scientific experiment. 

At the end of the commercial, just before the blue logo flashes, the tagline appears: “There are over 380,000 student-athletes, and just about every one of them will go pro in something other than sports.”

Alex Martin, a recently graduated senior golfer, has prepared himself for a life outside sports, but for now will test the waters in a professional athletic career.

Martin, who recently qualified for the 2010 U.S. Open, was a two-time All-Big Ten selection during his college career. He also led the Hoosiers his senior year with a season scoring average of 72.33, the eighth-lowest in school history. Martin also received his second career medalist honors during his senior year with the Renaissance Intercollegiate individual title. 

Martin, who leaves his mark on Indiana with a career scoring average of 74.18, eighth all-time at IU, qualified for the upcoming Men’s 2010 U.S. Open Championship in Pebble Beach this week. This came as no surprise to those who know him.  

“His consistency really impressed me,” IU men’s golf coach Mike Mayer said. “His shot pattern was very similar every time. That’s one thing we look for, is repetition.”

This repetition was not solely on the course. Martin was a Kelley School of Business direct admit and said he spent many late nights studying after a long day on the course or even studying on the plane while traveling to a meet.

David Erdy, Martin’s teammate and roommate last year, said Martin is reliable on and off the course.

“I was just always very impressed with his consistency everywhere,” Erdy said. “We could always rely on him to play well. He drew that consistency with his life too. He stuck to his morals.”
   
However, Martin responds to his legacy in a much more humble manner.

“I just would like to leave behind being a good representation of the Indiana Hoosiers and the state of Indiana,” Martin said. “I would like to continue to carry out being a good representative of Indiana University in the years to come.”