Coach Jack O’Keefe and Senior Joey Degnan at the State Qualifer Tournament
Troy High School senior Joey Degnan qualified to represent Section II at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Golf Championships in June. This is the first time in recent memory that a Troy golfer has reached the state level.
Degnan placed fifth at the Section II state qualifier, earning one of only nine spots on the Section II team that will compete at the state tournament June 6–8 in Rochester.
Head Coach Jack O’Keefe, now in his fourth year leading the program, said Degnan’s qualification is the result of years of dedication, patience and leadership.
“Joey always wanted to do this [make it to the state tournament],” O’Keefe said. “He was top 20 the last two years and came up short, but he kept sticking through it, and this year he got it done.”
“It’s a big relief,” Degnan said. “As a senior I definitely felt the added pressure of it being my last opportunity to make the team. It was my main goal for this year’s golf season.”
The achievement capped off one of Troy’s strongest golf seasons in years. The Flying Horses finished 8–5 overall, qualified as a team for sectionals for just the second time in four years, and placed fourth in the Colonial Council Tournament.
When O’Keefe took over coaching the program in 2022, there wasn’t a guarantee there would even be a golf team for him to coach – Joey Degnan was the only student golfer at the time. Today, the roster has expanded to more than a dozen golfers, including several middle school students over the last few years.
Two eighth graders and a ninth grader joined Degnan in qualifying for sectionals this fall, reflecting the team’s promising future. O’Keefe credited much of that progress to the players’ commitment to practice, even without a driving range.
“We’re at Frear Park almost every night,” he said. “We set up station work because we don’t have a driving range, which is a little disadvantage for us. We hit foam balls with our drivers, the real golf balls with our irons, on the hill to the side we do our putting and chipping work, then when the ranger decides no one else is going out, we go out and play on the course.”
O’Keefe said on the day school was closed for Yom Kippur, when he reached out to his golfers to ask if anyone wanted to get a practice round in, Joey had already booked a tee time, picked up three of his teammates, and made plans for lunch after.
Also a business and marketing teacher at Troy High. O’Keefe, often connects golf to lessons beyond the course.
“After you’ve played 18 holes with someone, you kind of have a good feel for who that person is,” he said. “You know their etiquette, whether they’re positive or negative, how they shake off a bad shot or don’t.”
That emphasis on character has made Troy’s golfers stand out.
“I get compliments all the time about how respectful and composed our players are,” O’Keefe said. “Other coaches love having our kids in their groups. That means more to me than any score. At the end of the day, when you look back on what your scores were, nobody remembers that. But they remember whether or not you were a good dude.”
“O’Keefe has established a great culture as the golf coach,” Degnan said. “His winning mentality has shaped our teams’ expectations and allowed us to improve more than ever. Coach’s emphasis on character can improve our scores even without touching a club.”
Over the winter, Joey plans to work indoors and improve his putting. He says he hopes focusing on what’s been the weakest part of his game recently will “save him a few strokes” in the spring.
As Degnan prepares for the state tournament, O’Keefe said his impact on the program will last long after graduation.
“We don’t have this program without Joey,” he said. “He’s been with us since eighth grade, he’s been the example for everyone else, and he’s leaving the program in great hands.”