Mississippi State incoming freshman Jackson Cook is already making noise as an amateur player this summer. The West Point native posted back-to-back runner-up finishes at his last two tournaments, the Mississippi State Amateur and the Spirit of America Golf Classic.
Drew Wilson, Cook’s future teammate, and MSU alumnus David Beard both finished close behind him at the State Amateur event in Saucier, coming in at 12th and 3rd, respectively.
Cook was the top-rated high school prospect in the state according to the American Junior Golf Association, and won the Mississippi State Boys Junior Amateur tournament in both 2021 and 2023. He is a graduate of Oak Hill Academy and the prestigious Raiders golf program, helping the program to four-straight MAIS Class 3A state championships.
Cook committed to Mississippi State in November of last year. At his signing day, he expressed his excitement to join the Bulldogs and follow the family tradition of attending MSU.
“Both of my parents went there, I’ve grown up a State fan, and it’s just where I’ve wanted to be since I was born,” Cook said.
Thanks to Cook’s proximity to Starkville as well as his experience playing Mossy Oak and Old Waverley, the transition to being part of the Bulldog golf team won’t be an overwhelming one.
“It’ll be an easy transition come August,” he said on his signing day. “It’ll be what I’m used to, I just need to go with the flow and be ready to go. Dusty (Smith) has a really good program, and it’s going to be a good group of guys coming in with me. One we can build on, we’ll be young next year, but we can get going.”
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