Missouri State

Rolly Hurst is a native of Springfield, Mo., and a Hillcrest High School graduate. Hurst logged a host of scholastic and amateur golf honors around the state and region before his days at Missouri State. For the Bears, Hurst had a one-stroke victory with a final tournament total of 233 strokes for the individual championship of the Mid-Continent Conference as MSU won the league crown its final season in that circuit in 1989-90. Hurst was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference all-league selection who was MVC medalist by one stroke over John Loomis of Wichita State. Hurst led the Bears to a conference title as a senior in 1993 for coach Bruce Hollowell as MSU bested runner-up Wichita State by 18 strokes. Hurst was the league's individual medalist with a 218 score in that championship run by MSU. The Bears were second and third in the league the two previous years and Hurst was fourth in MVC medal competition as a junior with a 226 score. He was a three-time NCAA regional qualifier with six tourney individual titles and 21 top-five tourney finishes. He won the Bradley University Invitational as a sophomore, captured the title of the Missouri State Invitational his junior year, and won the University of Texas Intercollegiate championship, the Drake Relays title and the Valley crown as a senior. He led the Bears in stroke average all four seasons at MSU and finished his playing days with a 75.39 career stroke average. In addition to working as a teaching professional at three Springfield area country clubs, he earned exempt status on the Midwest, Florida and South American professional circuits. He came back to coach the Missouri State men's golf team to second and third place conference finishes in the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Hurst resides in Indianapolis and works as a missionary, serving in the Asia-Pacific region.