ROY HESS | Staff Writer
LA FERIA — Friday marked a very special day for Andy Cortez.
Cortez, a senior golf standout for the La Feria Lions, signed an athletic scholarship agreement to play for the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros.
Cortez, who earlier this week qualified for next month’s Class 4A state tournament in Kyle, just outside of Austin, became La Feria’s first male golfer to put his signature on a scholarship agreement to play golf in college.
It was a celebratory event for all present Friday as Cortez signed before a host of family members, friends, classmates and school officials at the high school library.
“Thank you for giving a 3-year-old boy with a rusty golf club a dream (of playing the sport in college),” Cortez told the applauding audience. “Now I’m achieving that dream of playing at the next level.”
The La Feria senior will be playing golf for an NCAA Division I program in nearby Edinburg.
“It means the world to me, knowing I’m putting all my hard work and my future into place, and that I’ll be joining a Division I school and that they’re giving me this opportunity,” said Cortez, who plans to pursue a sports medicine or physical therapy degree in college or possibly opt for a major in the criminal justice/law enforcement field. “It just means the world.
“I started with the game (of golf) around 3 or 4, and I’ve just loved it ever since,” he added. “My dad (Juan Cortez) introduced it to me and took me out to the golf course with his friends (as a youngster), and I just never put down the golf club.”
La Feria golf coach David Briones said Cortez’s success for the Lions has helped the golf program at the school grow. Briones said it’s going to feel like something is missing once Cortez graduates, and he wishes his star golfer nothing but the best in college.
“It’s been wonderful to coach someone like Andy with his work ethic who is that caliber of player,” Briones said. “It’s made my life (as a coach) a little bit easier. If I could just have four more Andys (to form a team of players like him), I’d appreciate it.
“I’m looking forward for his success at the college level,” Briones added. “I know he’ll do great. I wish him the best. We have one more tournament for him (at state) this school year, and hopefully we can come out successfully.”
Qualifying for state Tuesday at the Region IV-4A Tournament in Corpus Christi as the runner-up medalist and then signing with UTRGV on Friday has made it quite an eventful couple of days for the young golf standout.
He’s become the only Cameron County golfer from a Class 6A, 5A or 4A school to qualify for UIL state competition this school year.
“It’s been an amazing week,” Cortez said. “Knowing that I’ve qualified to go to state for the second time in my high school career and having signed with UTRGV in the same week, it just means the world to me.”