MANHATTAN, Kan. – Jack Taylor, who has found success on the community-college level the last two seasons, has signed a financial aid agreement and will join the Wildcats in time for spring competition, Kansas State head men’s golf coach Grant Robbins announced Wednesday.
Taylor comes to K-State after playing the last year and a half at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona.
“We are very excited to have Jack join us this spring,” Robbins said. “When we found out last month that Max Reynolds was not going to be able to get here due to his visa issues, it left us with an opening this spring. Coach (Cullen) Carstens identified Jack as someone that could come in and help us right away and did a great job securing his commitment.”
Playing for the fourth-ranked team in Division II of the National Collegiate Junior College Association (NJCAA), Taylor finished the fall ranked sixth nationally and tops in his region after producing a 69.79 scoring average and four top-10 finishes, which included a victory to close out the fall in the Thunderbird Fall Classic. In that 36-hole event, Taylor earned an eight-shot victory at 17-under par 127.
Taylor’s performance this past fall came on the heels of an impressive summer in which he tied for 14th in the Arizona Stroke Play Championship with a 72-hole score of 8-under par 276, which included three rounds in the 60s. He also advanced to the Round of 16 at the Arizona State Amateur after recording a 6-under par 138 during two rounds of stroke play.
“Jack really came on over the summer and had a great fall at South Mountain,” said Robbins. “He has been in contention several times and has shown the ability to win. What really impressed us as we got to know him was his competitiveness and his diligence in doing the work necessary to improve. We are looking forward to him getting here in January and to start working with him.”
As a freshman in the spring of 2025, Taylor placed in the top 10 in six of his eight events, highlighted by a tie for first in the 36-hole Glendale Spring Tournament at 4-under par 140. He also tied for third place in the Gila Monster Tournament (1-under par 143) and SMCC Tournament (8-under par 136). Taylor helped the Cougars finish first in the NJCAA West District and advance to the NJCAA Division II Golf Championship, where South Mountain finished in third place.
Kansas State opens its spring schedule in The Prestige, February 16-18, at PGA WEST in La Quinta, California.
