Carson Murphy tapped in for outstanding season
owen Golfer Overcomes Adversity To Complete Program’s Best season in 18 Years
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 26, 2025
Rising senior Carson Murphy, who finished the 2025 Owen golf season by finishing third in the NCHSAA 2A State Championship Tournament, returned, June 23, to his home course in Black Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick
Carson Murphy has spent much of his young life on the Black Mountain Golf Course, where the rising high school senior refines his skill set in the sport he loves. When the Buncombe County Virtual Academy student and Owen High School athlete realized his local course would be closed for the foreseeable future, following Tropical Storm Helene, he naturally wondered how it would impact his upcoming spring season.
As he returned to the familiar landscape, June 23, to celebrate the reopening of the course’s back nine, he had since resolved that quandary with a third place finish in the NCHSAA 2A State Championship and the best individual season for the Warhorse program since 2007.
Murphy was introduced to golf, around the age of 10, by his father and quickly found himself studying the game.
“My dad started playing a little later in life, but he thought it was something I might enjoy and could continuously grow in,” he said. “I was interested, pretty much immediately, and I started watching a lot of YouTube videos on golf and matches on TV.”
As soon as he grasped the basic fundamental elements of the sport, Murphy was out on the course.
“I worked a lot with my dad when I was young, but obviously, the best way to figure something out is to get out there and do it as much as possible,” he said. “Repetition is the most important thing, and the more you do it, the more you learn how to correct things with minor adjustments.”
Murphy joined the golf team while attending Owen Middle School, and while he elected to remain in a virtual learning setting after the pandemic, one thing was clear when he joined head coach John Knight’s high school program as a freshman.
“He loves golf, and everything about it,” said Knight, who has coached the Warhorses for 30 seasons. “He also works really hard, all year, so he’s completely dedicated to the game.”
Murphy earned All-Western Highlands Conference recognition in his first two seasons and made his debut in the state championship tournament, following an eighth place showing in regional competition as a sophomore.
He was poised for a strong 2025 campaign, before Helene damaged and temporarily closed the Black Mountain Golf Course, the longtime home of the Owen golf teams.
“It was a little weird coming into season knowing we wouldn’t be playing here,” Murphy said. “But, we were really fortunate that Marion Lake Club in Nebo let us play our home matches there. I knew it would be a little bit of a challenge, but I just looked at this season as an opportunity to learn how to play unfamiliar courses better.”
Murphy led the Warhorses to a victory in their opening match of the season, scoring 38 in a nine-hole tournament in Lincolnton. He followed that performance by finishing 2 under par for a career-best 69 at Lenoir Golf Club last March.
The golfer’s ability to adapt his game based off of his experiences on the course became a defining characteristic of his approach, according to Knight.
“As a sophomore, he went into a sudden death playoff in the regional tournament to qualify for states, and that changed him as a golfer,” the coach said. “He handled that pressure, succeeded in a high-stakes environment and came out on top. I feel like that carried into this season, because he was really strong all year long.”
Owen golf head coach John Knight and the 2025 Warhorses finished eighth in the West region, while junior Carson Murphy, second from right, posted a third-place finish in the state championship. Courtesy photo
Murphy was the runner-up for the Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year award and finished second the in the conference tournament. The Asheville Citizen Times All-WNC selection carried that momentum into the NCHSAA 2A West Regional tournament at the River Bend YMCA Golf Course in Shelby, where he faced “tricky” greens, according to Knight.
“He shot a 76 on that course, which is a nice course, but definitely not without its challenges,” he said. “Not only was he able to improve on his previous regional performance, but he also tied for second and qualified for state again.”
Murphy’s performance helped lead the Warhorses to an eighth-place finish in the regional tournament, capping a season in which they finished 43-30. He was joined on the All-WHC squad by teammates Colton Lunsford and Malachi Harrin.
“Carson did a great job for us, but Malachi and Colton really stepped up and helped us finish second in the conference,” Knight said. “I’m really proud of this group of guys.”
While Murphy was confident heading into the state tournament at Pinehurst No. 6, there was no way to prepare for the weather conditions faced by the field of 96 golfers. A two-hour rain delay on the day one of the tournament interrupted a promising start.
“He was on the fourth green when they sent us a message and told us to stop playing,” Knight said. “The green we were on was impossible to play because it was under 2 inches of water and the cup was filled with water.”
When play resumed, the green remained under water, according to the coach.
“I have never experienced anything like that,” he added.
Murphy, who went into the weather delay at 2 over par, finished the day at 1 over.
“I think that delay gave me a chance to think about what was and wasn’t working up to that point,” he said. “My swing felt better once we went back out, so I think that worked for me.”
He finished the tournament with matching scores of 72 on both days.
“I was very proud of the way Carson played, both days,” Knight said. “We hadn’t had anyone finish third in the state in a long time, and he kept his composure no mater what. It was an impressive performance.”
Establishing himself as one of the top three 2A golfers in the state “felt great,” according to Murphy.
“Even though I placed third, which is really good, I feel like I didn’t quite play up to my potential, so that leaves me room to improve,” he said. “It’s a great confidence builder going into my senior year, because I feel like I can work hard to get back there again next year.”
Since the end of the school year, he’s been relaxing the only way he knows.
“I’ve been playing some fun rounds with my friends,” Murphy said. “But, by about mid-summer I’m going to start working harder on improving my game.”
He already has an ideal location to train, he added.
“Now that Black Mountain Golf Course is back open, it’s a great treat to play here, and I’m so thankful to Brent (Miller) and the staff here for being so supportive of Owen golf,” Murphy said. “I’m really looking forward to getting back out here this week and playing.”