5 years after his first trip, CAL's Brady Smith is now a back-to-back state golf champ

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Brady Smith played in his first state high school golf tournament before he was in high school. He just finished his high school career as the best player in the state.

The Christian Academy of Louisville senior was practically born into the game and he'll be staying home for college golf en route to what he hopes is a pro career.

He is self-proclaimed golf nerd, eaten up with the game and all it's intricacies. He played other sports growing up, but it was always going to be golf for a kid born to parents who both love the game, met when paired together in a golf scramble and were engaged on a golf course.

"When he could walk," his mother, Susan Smith, said about when Brady first started playing the game. "I mean he had a club in his hand from early, early on. It was just what we did. We did it as a family. So he picked up on it and loved it. He always had some good hand-eye coordination and athleticism, and now you've got ability, drive and access. It leads to great things."

Brady Smith first flashed that ability to us five years ago as an undersized eighth-grader, shooting an even par 72 at Seneca Golf Course in the 6th Region tournament to qualify for the state tournament.

"I was a very good putter in eighth grade," he said. "I lost it a little bit. It was all mental. My stroke was the same. My speed got bad. I would either make a 10-footer or I would three-putt. Eventually, not caring helped my putting."

Getting that confidence back with the putter helped Brady Smith capture a second consecutive state title earlier this month. He shot 65-71 at Bowling Green Country Club and won by seven shots to become the 10th golfer to make it back-to-back KHSAA titles.

I didn't play great at regionals and our team didn't get to go," he said. "But I made it up to my team and back-to-back is pretty special."

The Christian Academy senior turned down a number of offers from top programs around the country to stay home and play at the University of Louisville.

"I just became more and more happy with my life here and how great Louisville is," Brady Smith said. So it just became more clear to me as time went on."

All the pieces are there for even bigger things in the future.

"Born in a golf-crazy family with a very beautiful golf course and great practice facilities," Brady Smith's father, Paul, said, listing the wonderful access Brady has had to the game. "Everything you need to be really good except for drive and determination. He works. Like, we're on this driving range today, and he's the only one out here, and this is typical. He sacrifices a lot socially and with his friends. He has a determination that I think really separates him at least right now. He used to have a sign on his front door that said, 'Did you get better today?' It's really cool to see the work that he puts in."