In sports, coaches often remind young athletes that success doesn't happen overnight.
For Richmond Hill's Tripp West, it has taken just three years.
The rising seventh grader has quickly emerged as one of the Coastal Empire's top young golfers, compiling an impressive list of accomplishments while competing against players who, in many cases, have been swinging a club since they were toddlers.
West's journey in golf is still relatively new. Yet his recent success suggests he is rapidly becoming a player to watch both locally and on the regional junior golf scene.
This spring, West helped lead the Richmond Hill Middle School Wildcats boys golf team to the Coastal Empire Middle School Golf Region Championship. He earned low medalist honors in the championship round with a score of 39 while helping the Wildcats complete an undefeated season.
West also finished the year as the lowest-scoring golfer in the region while earning recognition for carrying the highest GPA on Richmond Hill's championship team, according to the West family.
For most middle school athletes, that would be enough to call the season a success.
Richmond Hill Middle School golfer Tripp West with awards during the school's end-of-year awards banquet after helping the Wildcats win the Coastal Empire Middle School Golf Region Championship. (Photo courtesy of the West family)
For West, it was simply the beginning.
West's longtime coach, Ed Dennis, has had a front-row seat to that growth.
"Tripp is probably the most dedicated person I've worked with," Dennis told Prep Sports Report. "Sarah Edwards plays on the Epson Tour now and was the No. 1 golfer at Alabama her last two years in college. Tripp is the only other golfer I've had that has had the dedication to sit down and take notes. He'll drag his parents to the golf course as opposed to being dragged to the golf course. His desire to learn and his desire to want to be better than the day before is what separates him from everybody else."
Dennis has coached West since he first picked up a golf club three years ago.
"I was Tripp's very first coach," Dennis said. "We started with the absolute basics, and he has outpaced what I can coach him in his short game in just three years."
What makes West's rise particularly impressive is how quickly it has happened. Many of the players he competes against have been playing golf for most of their lives. West, meanwhile, is entering just his third year in the sport. Despite the late start, he has already established himself as one of the top young golfers in the Coastal Empire while competing successfully on some of the nation's most competitive junior golf tours.
Winning Wherever He Plays
Over the past several months, West has collected victories and top finishes on some of the nation's most competitive junior golf circuits.
Competing on the U.S. Kids Golf Savannah Tour, West captured the Spring Season championship after recording multiple top finishes throughout the year. His season included victories at Rose Hill Golf Club and Palmetto Hall, along with runner-up finishes at Crosswinds Golf Club and Savannah Country Club.
West also posted a second-place finish on the U.S. Kids Golf Jacksonville Tour, competing against a field of 22 golfers in the 11-year-old division.
His consistency throughout the spring allowed him to finish atop the Savannah Tour standings and continue building momentum heading into the summer season.
Under Armour World Championship Bound
West's success carried over to The Junior Tour Powered by Under Armour, where he captured the St. Simons/Southeast Georgia Spring Season championship in the Boys 11-12 division.
Over the course of the Spring 2026 season, West accumulated 470 points and posted an impressive 37.4 average gross score, finishing atop the season standings against some of the region's top junior golfers.
The season-long championship earned him a berth in the upcoming Under Armour World Championship, one of the premier events in junior golf.
West secured his spot after finishing 18th out of a field of 67 golfers at a national qualifying event earlier this year.
Qualifying for a world championship event is an accomplishment for any young golfer. Doing so within three years of picking up the game makes the achievement even more impressive.
Dominating the Callaway Junior Tour
If there has been one tour where West has truly separated himself this summer, it has been the Callaway Junior Tour.
Competing in the Boys 12-and-Under division, West opened the 2026 season with four consecutive victories, winning events at Glade Springs, The Greenbrier, Fisher Mountain Golf Club, and Canaan Valley Resort.
His performance at Canaan Valley may have been his most impressive yet. West fired a 1-under-par 71, earned Low Round of the Day honors, and won a playoff to secure another tournament title.
Through four events, West has recorded four victories, four Top-10 finishes, and four Top-25 finishes while accumulating 120 Player of the Year points.
Richmond Hill's Tripp West (left) with Eli Ranieri following a Callaway Junior Tour event at Canaan Valley Resort in West Virginia on June 18, 2026. West won the Boys 12-and-Under division.
More Than Trophies
Yet consistency remains one of West's greatest strengths. Whether representing Richmond Hill Middle School or competing across the Southeast, he has repeatedly put himself in contention against some of the top young golfers in his age group.
That ability to compete week after week has helped transform a promising young golfer into one of the area's rising stars.
Dennis believes one of West's greatest strengths goes beyond his swing.
"The biggest piece about Tripp is that he has golf in the right priority in his life," Dennis said. "He and his family are very Christ-centered in everything they do. He understands where golf fits in his life. It's a tool and a platform for ministry, not what defines him."
Dennis said West's mental approach has grown significantly during the past three years.
"His ability to focus on each shot and what he has in front of him, as opposed to worrying about the shots that have passed or what's coming up next, has really improved," Dennis said. "The shot in front of me is the shot I'm worried about. Over the past three years, that's where his biggest growth and development has come."
Dennis also pointed out that West's handling of adversity continues to improve.
"I think the hardest thing for Tripp to learn was how to put bad shots and bad finishes behind him," Dennis said. "Over the past year, he's really worked on that. If he has any room to grow, it's to give himself a little grace on bad shots and realize we don't have to be perfect on every single shot."
Looking Ahead
West's next challenge comes this July at the Under Armour World Championship, where he will test his game against many of the nation's best young golfers.
No matter what happens there, his rapid rise has already established him as one of the area's most promising young athletes.
Richmond Hill's Tripp West after a day of golf at Fish Tales in Richmond Hill, Georgia. The rising seventh grader has emerged as one of the Coastal Empire's top young golfers while competing on the U.S. Kids Golf, Under Armour, and Callaway Junior Tour circuits. (Photo courtesy of the West family)
Dennis has coached since 2008 and has seen firsthand what future high-level players look like.
"I've always been able to kind of pick out where kids' ceilings are," Dennis said. "Every kid that I've coached that I said could go on to play Division I has gone on to play Division I."
When asked about West's future, Dennis didn't hesitate.
"The only other student I've had long-term that I said could play on Sundays was Sarah Edwards," Dennis said. "After watching Tripp, I believe he has what it takes to play on Sundays, and that's not me blowing smoke."
Dennis compared West's drive and determination to those of former Richmond Hill High School state champion Ledger Connolly.
"They have the same drive and the same push to them," Dennis said. "I don't think he'll have any problem playing Division I. If he wants to play competitively beyond that and stays on the same trajectory, he should be able to go as far as he wants to go."
Every coach appreciates competitors who are willing to learn, work, and improve.
Three years into the game, Tripp West has already accomplished what many young golfers spend years chasing.
If his current success is any indication, the rising seventh grader's best rounds may still be ahead of him.
Tripp West By The Numbers
- · Coastal Empire Middle School Golf Region Champion (Team)
- · Region Low Medalist (39)
- · Lowest-Scoring Golfer in His Region
- · Highest GPA on Richmond Hill Middle School's Championship Team
- · U.S. Kids Savannah Spring Season Champion
- · U.S. Kids Jacksonville Tour Runner-Up (22-player field)
- · Under Armour St. Simons/Southeast Georgia Spring Season Champion
- · 470 Under Armour Tour Points
- · 37.4 Average Gross Score on the Under Armour Spring Tour
- · Four Consecutive Callaway Junior Tour Victories
- · Low Round of the Day at Canaan Valley Resort (-1, 71)
- · Qualified for the Under Armour World Championship
- · Entering Just His Third Year of Competitive Golf
Sources: U.S. Kids Golf Savannah Tour and Jacksonville Tour results, Callaway Junior Tour standings and tournament records, Richmond Hill Middle School golf records, coach interviews, and information provided by the West family.
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