‘It’s the next best thing’: Injured Gonzaga Prep standout Alex Cooke contributes in different role

Alex Cooke’s senior season hasn’t gone as planned.

The Gonzaga Prep standout, who placed second at the 4A state golf tournament last spring, came down with a lingering wrist injury during an early -season tournament in March and missed all five Greater Spokane League matches.

“The day before I was hitting balls on a simulator because there was still snow on the ground,” Cooke said. “My left wrist was a little tender so I stopped. The first day at Sun Willows (in Pasco) it was pretty minimal pain, nothing significant. I took some Tylenol and that did the trick. My next round I barely finished. I had to back off almost every shot. When I took the club to the top of my swing, it’d be the sharpest pain ever.”

So he’s found other ways to contribute to the team.

When Gonzaga Prep tees it up Monday and Tuesday at the District 8 4A Tournament at the Creek at Qualchan, Cooke will be an interested spectator and quasi assistant coach as his teammates attempt to qualify for next week’s state tournament.

“I wish I could give a thumb’s up (on being able to play at districts),” Cooke said. “I got the thumb’s up to try to hit the ball, but unfortunately I can’t hit a shot beyond 100 yards without sharp pain.”

Despite the injury, Cooke has made an impact in a different way. He’s been a mainstay at practices – “where the real work is done,” Cooke said – and tourneys. He eagerly lends advice on mental approach or on-course strategy. He analyzes teammate’s swing videos.

Cooke has worked with varsity and junior varsity players. Longtime Gonzaga Prep boys coach Dennis Dougherty said Cooke also worked with a senior who tried out for the girls’ team for the first time.

“Just been trying to make the best of things,” Cooke said. “It’s way more fun helping Gonzaga Prep golf than I thought it would be. I thought it would be miserable just watching, being my senior season. We had pretty high aspirations. I feel pretty bad not being able to help out on the course. It’s the next best thing.”

Dougherty would prefer having Cooke, one of the top prep players in the state, in the lineup, but he marvels over the senior’s willingness to help the program.

“He’s been at practices, he’s done putting drills with the guys, he looks at their swings, he’s walked the course with me,” Dougherty said. “He’s like an assistant coach. He’s not had one ounce of pity. After a couple days of doing it, he was like, ‘This is fun coach, but (playing) is more fun. Being on the other side of it, it’s been pretty neat to watch.”

Cooke sounds like a coach while highlighting his teammates’ improvements. He points out that John Malsam shot his first under-par tournament round at Palouse Ridge. Senior Will Kladar has posted his personal best scores three different times this season.

“Seeing stuff like that, it puts a smile on your face,” Cooke said.

Cooke was particularly impressed when Dillon Schrock, who finished second in the GSL player of the year race, fired a 61 at Esmeralda in the second GSL match. Schrock had a great round going at state last year, but he wasn’t able to keep it going. Cooke had a similar experience at a different tournament when he reached 7 under through 11 holes but struggled in the closing stretch. The two talked have several times about handling a red-hot start to a round.

“When you get that many under par, you start getting all these crazy thoughts,” Cooke said. “He told me, ‘I’m just focused on my next shot.’ I’m super proud of the way he finished that round.”

Cooke’s G-Prep career has been filled with ups and downs. Dougherty said the Bullpups were loaded when Cooke was a freshman but the season was canceled in response to COVID-19. There was a GSL season but still no state tournament in Cooke’s sophomore year. He was the GSL player of the year as a junior.

“Seeing the game like a coach is really a different way of watching and viewing the game,” Dougherty said of Cooke’s senior year. “But in terms of his improvement of four years … he just works, he’s determined and definitely dedicated.”

Barring a “miraculous recovery,” Cooke said it’s highly unlikely he would be able to play at state even if the Bullpups were to qualify in the District 8 tournament. Cooke has signed with Grand Canyon so he has a lot of golf to look forward to in the future.

As for the present, Cooke will do whatever he can to support the Bullpups at the district tournament.

“Some tournaments you’re watching from the sideline and it’s, ‘this really sucks,’ ” he said, “but helping people that are teammates and friends, it’s been enjoyable. It’s been really cool.”