“I never want to accept where I’m at and be complacent,” said Pioneer senior golfer Charlie Soule. “I always want to get to that next level.”

Judging from these words, it can be very easy to see how Soule has gone from being cut from the DU men’s golf team as a freshman to becoming one of most prolific players in school history.

Soule, now in his final season with the Pioneers, is tied for most individual victories in school history with three and is second overall in career scoring average at 72.58.

None of Soule’s impressive statistics and accomplishments may have ever seemed possible when he first picked up a golf club at age 12 when his family moved from Houston, Tex. to his current home just outside of Denver.

“I was always into baseball, but when we moved to Colorado, I didn’t have any friends,” said Soule of his first interest in golf. “So, I grabbed my mom’s golf clubs, and I just went down to the course that is about three blocks away from our house. I spent just about everyday there that summer.”

Soule, who played many sports growing up, quickly got hooked on the game. But when he was a freshman in high school, Soule encountered his first major set back.

“I got cut from the team my freshman year of high school,” said Soule.

Soule tried out the following year as well but made the team. By his senior season, Soule earned All-Conference honors and finished 13th in the Colorado State Tournament. He then decided that he wanted to pursue golf at the next level.

“I kind of chose it by my senior year of high school,” said Soule of his desire to play college golf. “I wanted to play D1 golf and decided that Denver was the school I wanted to go to because I had the best opportunity to do that.”

Soule came to DU in the hope of being able to walk-on to the Pioneer golf team. Unfortunately, things did not quite go as planned.

“I won the spot my freshman year, and [Head Coach Eric Hoos] said that he didn’t need me,” said Soule of his first try-out with the team.

Though disappointed, Soule was not discouraged. He came back the following fall and won the try-out once again, and, this time, Hoos made room for him on the team.

Soule worked his way into the Pioneers starting line-up that fall and wound up playing in nine tournaments, including the last six. He finished what would be considered his freshman season with a 78.67 scoring average, respectable for someone who walked on to the team.

The following year, Soule broke out of his shell, showing everyone what he was really capable of doing. Soule dropped his scoring average by nearly seven strokes, leading the team with an impressive 71.89 average. He won his first individual title at the Wolf Pack Classic, finished second in the Sun Belt Conference Championship and shot a career-low 66.

Soule said that the difference between his first and second seasons with the Pioneers was simple.

“The realization that the guys that I was playing against really weren’t that much better than me was the major thing,” said Soule. “There is a real intimidation factor when you first come on; a deer in the headlights type of thing. I had a really good summer (of playing), so I said that if I can do it in the summer then I can keep doing it in the fall.”

After Soule’s astonishing break-out season, he was awarded a scholarship to the team.

The following season, Soule did even better. He dropped his scoring average to a stingy 71.21, lead the team with 13 sub-70 rounds and won two more individual titles, which included an overwhelming seven-shot victory at the Fossum Invitational in Michigan.

Now in his final season with the Pioneers, results aren’t coming as easily for Soule, who had very high expectations coming into this season.

“I have tried going through a bunch of swing changes, starting at the beginning of last summer,” said Soule of the difference in this season. “I felt that to take it to the next level, I had to address a bunch of weaknesses. So I went to a whole retooling phase, and it’s been a struggle, but the light is coming through the end of the tunnel, finally.”

Soule feels that his game is coming around at the perfect time, as the Pioneers head into the NCAA West Regional tournament this week. For the first time in school history, the Pioneers will try to qualify for the national tournament.

“It would mean a lot to me,” said Soule of qualifying for nationals. “I had a lot of really high expectations for myself coming into this season. And making it to nationals would alleviate any of those other disappointments that I have had.”

Though his final season may be bellow his own personal standards, Soule’s career at DU has been remarkable. From being cut his as a walk-on during his first year at DU, Soule has made a long journey to where he is today.

When this spring ends, Soule has decided that he will turn professional, in hopes of one day making it to the PGA Tour. Five years ago, people may have laughed when Soule said he wanted to be a tour player, but, now, it would be hard to bet against him.

“There is always that side of me that says, ‘you are wrong and I can do this,'” said Soule of his critiques. “If you put in the time and effort, you will be successful. Its all hard work.”

Soule and the rest of the Pioneer men’s golf team compete this week at the NCAA West Regional in Tempe, Ariz. beginning on Thursday.