Bridgeport Golf Opens Highly Anticipated Season Wednesday
By Michael Minnich on August 05, 2026
It’s here already – the first event of the 2026-27 high school sports season.
The Bridgeport golf team opens its campaign Wednesday, today, August 5, at the West Virginia Golf Association High School Series event at Glade Springs, eager for a challenge.
“It’s a barometer check, right away,” Bridgeport coach Chris Kerr said of the season opener. “Where do we sit with some of the better teams in the state? Where do we need to be? It’s easy to play your home course where these kids have played all summer, but now you’ve got to take your game on the road. How does that that translate when you don’t know all the holes as well as you know your home course, when you’re not staring at your buddies, but at a competitor who wants to beat you?
“It’s a really good beginning of the season. We appreciate the Callaway Junior Tour running these events.”
Off a strong summer that included winning an AJGA event at Bridgeport Country Club against some of the best players in the state and region and even a few from abroad, Alex Randolph was the team’s top player over tryouts at Bridgeport Country Club on Monday and Tuesday.
“Outside of being a great player, he’s just a great kid,” coach Kerr said. “He’s very humble, he’s very respectful, he’s a leader out there already as a sophomore.
“What makes him a good player is his calm demeanor. He’s able to shake off a bad hole and move on to the next hole,” coach Kerr said. “His golf speaks for itself. It’s probably easier to shake off a bad hole when you know the next hole is right in birdie range.
“He just has a complete golf game…chipping, putting, irons, driver, it’s just all there.”
Bridgeport’s roster has seven seniors: Patrick Aucremanne, Anthony Julian, Audrey Kerr, Kennedy Marsh, Jaxon McNally, Malachi Nuse and Luke Rohrig,
Kerr was second in qualifying and has won the state girls invitational title in the past.
“Audrey’s just worked a lot on her mechanics and swing,” coach Kerr said. “She had a phenomenal two days of qualifying. She’s really found her swing in the last couple of weeks. She’s just looking to go out there and have a great senior year.”
Aucremanne slots as the Tribe’s No. 3 player.
“He had a great qualifier, shot 80 in the first day,” coach Kerr said. “He has really worked on his game every year and made some gains and leaps. We’re looking for big things out of him and expect him to be somebody we can count on.”
This is Rohrig’s first year on the golf team, but he brings superior hand-eye coordination from an all-state baseball season.
“He’s a little raw and hasn’t played a lot of tournament golf, so there’s some work to be done, but he can golf his ball. We look for him to be one of the more important players on our varsity squad as well,” coach Kerr said.
The sophomore group is Dom Julian, Merritt Messenger, Nate Morrow, Jackson Nicewarner, Randolph, Evan Root and Landen Walker.
Morrow was fifth in tryouts.
“He was the surprise of the tryout,” coach Kerr said. “He didn’t play for us last year and he’s going to slot right in as our fifth or sixth player. He played really well over two days.”
That sophomore class has experience that exceeds their ages.
“Jackson, Landen, Evan and Dom are all returners,” coach Kerr said. “If you look at their scores from last year, they’ve all improved. They’re all going to fight for those 5-7 positions. Same for Merritt Messenger, who did not play for us last year. He’s right in there as well. Those sophomores have a lot of opportunities to get some varsity time this year.”
That competition is key for this season and going forward.
“You want them to push each other. There’s going to be some matches where the seventh or eighth player may not get in, but the fifth and sixth players are going to have to put up scores,” coach Kerr said. “If they don’t go out and compete and really dial in, that’s going to change around. Competition always breeds better players.”
The roster was determined by the two days of tryouts.
“They went really well,” coach Kerr said. “We had 20 kids come out and made cuts to 14. There’s a lot of good players out there, a lot of kids that have some real opportunities and we’re excited about the season.”
BHS does not have any freshmen or juniors on the roster.
“Things come in waves. It’s usually pretty hard for freshmen to make that transition from eighth grade to freshman year. You’re stepping back on the tees, the course is a little longer and there’s a little more pressure,” coach Kerr said.
BHS will play another WVGA High School Series event on Tuesday, August 11 at Oglebay Resort, the site of the state tournament on October 12-13.
“We want to go up there and get a first look at that course,” coach Kerr said. “Hopefully we can qualify (for states) and get up there and get some practice rounds.”
The Tribe opens Big 10 play against Lewis County and Grafton at Stonewall Resort on Thursday, August 13.
“The regional and Big 10 are both at Stonewall, so we need to get a couple of looks at that place,” coach Kerr said. “The kids can get used to the course and understand where the misses are.”
The home opener is Tuesday, August 18 against Lincoln and Philip Barbour at Bridgeport Country Club.
“Bridgeport Country Club is, by far, our closest ally. It has been the home course of the Indian golf team since it existed,” coach Kerr said. “Mike Gervais and his staff out there do a great job and credit to the president, Chuck Marsh, and the board members. They really give us access to the course way more than a lot of other high school teams get (on their home course).
“We probably wouldn’t be as good if it wasn’t for them.”
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