Small in stature, Bryant's presence looms large for men's golf team
A child’s birthday can be taxing on a parent.
Buying and wrapping presents. Ordering or baking a cake. Making all the party plans and then dealing with a host of people invading your house. Or trying to keep track of them at a busy location.
Inevitably, a parent will be taken back to first time the day was celebrated, when a child was welcomed in the world and it makes them smile.
Julie Bryant is no different. January 7 of every year is taxing emotionally for her, because both of her children were born on the same day three years apart. And she does smile at the thought of her son, Davis, and daughter, Emma, joining the world.
The day also brings her to tears.
“There’s got to be a reason why he’s on this earth, because he defied every odd of living,” Julie said of Davis. “The doctors tell you things you don’t want to know or think about. The fact he’s here, they have their birthdays and I’m very happy, but it’s usually a day I cry a lot, because all those memories and emotions come back. Their birthday, as much of a celebration as it is, it’s hard for me, because I just remember all they went through.”
Davis, a senior on the Colorado State men’s golf team, was born 14 weeks premature. He came into the world at 1 pound, 10 ounces. Emma, who will be freshman on the Denver women’s golf team this year, arrived seven weeks early, but a much heartier soul than her brother.
Emma went home within a week, on oxygen. Davis went home 105 days after his birth– his original due date. It was amazing he even went home, because those chances were slim. The fact he’s a collegiate golfer is amazing, as well.
At one day old, he had already had five blood transfusions and a heart operation. Each week seemed to bring about another warning from doctors for parents Julie and Matt, what to expect, what to brace for with Bryant. Once the two passed the point of worrying about whether or not Davis would live, the outlooks started to steer more toward his quality of life.
Would he have cerebral palsy? Would he walk? Would he lose his sight? Each time, Davis would take it right down to the cutoff date. They tested his eyes constantly, because of all the time he spent in an incubator, and at the break-off point for surgery, he was fine. Same with the Grade 4 brain bleed. No surgery needed. Same with the possibility of putting a button in his stomach to feed him. They pulled the feeding tube at Julie’s request, and three days later he was home and eating on his own.
Nobody thinks Davis remembers any of these things consciously, but Julie and he believe there is no possible way he wasn’t impacted by it all.
“I think that created a fight in my brain. My parents have always talked about I was a fighter since day one, that cliché statement,” Davis said. “Obviously being 135 pounds and 5-foot-7 compared to (teammate) Christoph Bleier at 6-2, 200, I found a different way to play the game and be successful at it. Knowing that I have that drive and that competitiveness, I definitely have that because I was born early, I feel like. I feel I have some of those traits I wouldn’t have otherwise.
“I feel like I have a special opportunity to play Division I golf and represent Colorado. I love this place, I love doing things outdoors. It’s always been home, it will always be home. Being able to give back and set an example for younger players who might see my name on a trophy and see that I decided to stay in state and represent Colorado State, that makes my family fortunate and proud.”
Knowing that I have that drive and that competitiveness, I definitely have that because I was born early, I feel like. I feel I have some of those traits I wouldn’t have otherwise.Davis Bryant
Being at Colorado State, Julie will tell you, is his story coming full circle. At the time of his birth, Julie and Matt called Fort Collins home. They were taken to what is now Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children via helicopter to deal with the complications of his upcoming birth.
A benefit was held at a local establishment to help the Bryant’s out in their time of need, and even though both are heavily involved in Colorado golf circles in the Denver area – Matt is the general manager of Green Valley Ranch Golf Club -- the city of Fort Collins will always be special to them.
It most definitely is special to Bryant. He starred at Eaglecrest High School in Aurora, winning a state title and earning Junior Golf Alliance Colorado Player of the Year honors. Staying home and representing his state was important to him, and he’s grateful to CSU head coach Christian Newton for looking past his size and him not hitting the ball a country mile and seeing someone who could navigate a course and find a way.
That was him at the start, and it hasn’t changed. He has been a constant in the lineup, earning All-American honors as a sophomore from the GCAA, as well as being named All-Mountain West. Coming to Colorado State has been perfect.
“I came here in fall of 2018 and I’ve played every tournament and it’s been great,” he said. “It’s everything I thought it was going to be, which is a great feeling. A lot of times you can’t say that about something. Even now you see people transferring for different reasons. I had an idea of what I was getting myself into, but it’s worked out the way I wanted it to.”
Being a golfer always seemed to be in the cards, too. Yes, his parents are actively involved, but the first week he was in an incubator, somebody put a golf club on the top and it stayed there until he left the hospital.
When the Bryant’s would go to the hospital, some days it would be tough. It would be a planned day where they could hold their son, but in his condition, sometimes it couldn’t happen. One day, somebody on staff knew they were coming in and planned out a surprise. A box was constructed into a golf cart, and it was placed around the incubator, as if he was riding in a golf cart on a golf course. A poster was hung, proclaiming him the Master’s baby, or he was simply known as the golf baby.
At the age of 18 months, he swung his first club. He was, his mother says, always driven to succeed.
“He always had to hit a higher club because he didn’t have as much distance,” she said. “One time, all the guys were on a par 3, and they all missed the green, Davis pulls out a wood and knocks it on the green, and one of the guys said, ‘well Chicken Little’s got game.’ He’s always had that chip on his shoulder like he’s had to prove himself.”
Yet he’s never been chippy. Quite the opposite rather. Davis will make friends anywhere he goes. Definitely on a tee box, even standing in line at Water World. He is an extrovert who not only loves to meet people, but get to know them and hear their story.
If you say hello to Davis, make sure you have 10 minutes to spare. His personality and demeanor has him dutifully suited to take on his next role for the Rams, not just as a quality scorer, but as the team’s leader.
The role was previously held by AJ Ott, but even a few years back, Davis was taking steps to fill the role. For one, COVID hit and altered parts of two seasons, and there was question as to if Ott would even return for another year. If he didn’t, Davis was going to be ready, which put Newton at ease.
“Obviously from a playing standpoint, you’re going to lose a pretty good scorer in AJ, but I didn’t feel like we’d take a big step back leadership wise,” Newton said. “I felt Davis was going to be able to handle his role, so I definitely felt pretty good about it. Davis and I have been in communication during the summer about my expectations and what he could do for this team and how he can really make an impact, and he’s really embraced the roles.
“He talks the talk and walks the walk. He’s definitely the guy who’s doing all the right things, but he’ll back it up, too. He has no problem sticking is nose right in there backing it up, which is great.”
Ott was out front leading by example. Ranking No. 2 all time in program history in career stoke average (71.94) and second in career average versus par (+0.51), Davis can do walk that path. What he adds is a vocal component, as he’s the type of person who is not afraid to say something to a teammate, be it about their golf game, their attitude or their overall commitment.
He’ll never skip a chance to help out a young golfer, especially one who is going to be a teammate. This summer, while playing in the state match-play tournament, he was paired up with Jordan Jennings, an incoming freshmen from Montrose. With about three holes to play, Davis had secured the victory, and the customary tactic is to shake hands and leave the course.
Davis had another plan.
“Whether he knew me or I knew him, I knew I could help,” Davis said. “Whether that’s on the golf course or in the classroom, I just want to help him. I saw things I knew I could help him improve. We did a mixture of what (assistant coach) Parker Edens had told him to work on, and I kind of used my experience – ‘hey you can do it this way’ -- and we had a blast. We played three or four holes by ourselves and we talked about everything and it was awesome. If I was in that position, I would want somebody to do it for me.
“It was a quick instinct. I could have gone in and gotten rest for the rest of the week, but I knew those three holes are going to matter to him, and to this day, we still talk about it.”
Jennings knew of Davis, but they’d never really talked before being paired up for the round. By the end of the day, he automatically felt like he’d been accepted as a member of the Colorado State golf team.
On top of that, he also knew he was going to be taken care of, starting with his captain. It was an important first impression with lasting impact.
“Davis and I played the last three holes, and he helped me with a few things,” Jennings said. “I just knew he was going to be a great teammate. I knew where I was going, to CSU, if there are guys like that there, I’m going to have a good time. He shows how you can be a good golfer and a great person at the same time. Some guys, you can see them win and kinda say I’m done and head in. Golf is an individual sport, but he makes it a team sport, too, and I enjoy that.”
Davis is all about his team. He’s fully vested into what the coaching staff teaches and their expectations. He understands the loss of Ott is a hit, but it will not change his outlook one bit. Colorado State’s program was ranked not too far back, and while last season didn’t live up to their outlook, his feeling is the goals should not and cannot change.
For the past two years, the Rams have targeted winning the Mountain West Championship, but it hasn’t happened. This is a new year, and there are new players. The same target, however, remains on the board.
“The expectations haven’t changed. I’ve made it clear of how important every shot is and every way you handle yourself, because there are people everywhere,” he said. “Jay Pabin said something funny last week – ‘I didn’t know guys were going to be this good.’ I said, ‘well, get ready,’ and he’s excited. You can see the excitement. I’m glad. I want it to be like this. You want to be able to fight for your spot and have your clubs prove themselves. That’s a great trait he has.”
As the leader, that’s been his message. Colorado State will be good. To do so, he starts with improving his game. He started fine last year, placing tied for seventh at the Prestige Individual Invitational, but after that, he went a string of five tournaments where he performed over par.
His mom will tell you he doesn’t like roller coasters – probably because the beginning of his life was a doozy of a ride – and Davis doesn’t ride one when it comes to golf. A good round is a good round. A bad round is a bad round. You move on to the next.
Newton sees him being steady at the front of the boat, which does nothing but help settle the back.
“I think it was in a great way. He struggled and he just kept grinding,” Newton said. “He kept trusting in the things we were telling him, and he kept grinding and he didn’t give up. Things didn’t really go his way, and unfortunately, things never came around for him the way he wanted. He just kept at it. That’s been beat into him since he’s been here, is to be resilient. Again, walking the walk.”
Davis did turn things around late. Maybe not the degree of improvement he would have liked, but his final three tournaments were all under par. His final tournament, the Mountain West Championships, he finished at 6-under, tied for fifth.
What he has learned over the years is he can play the game of golf. Finding the consistency is the key. Learning to deal with the fact the improvements can be slight instead of monumental is important. What he now comprehends better than ever is when something is not working, remember it once did and follow the bread crumbs back.
“When we struggled last spring, I did a lot reflecting on my own game and how everything went down, and I was like, you have to get back to why you’re doing this and how you did it before successfully,” he said. “That’s going to be my advice when the guys are struggling and they shoot 5-over. I found a way to soul search and rotate the clock and say, ‘OK, I was doing everything good at one moment, how did it get here?’ You have to look at it from 35,000 feet and say I need to get back to the basics.”
Which is what his mother does. While he may see a bad shot, she sees him wearing his father’s wedding ring like a bracelet. She recalls he’s had an IV placed in his body in every conceivable place one would expect, as well as a few others. Before he could walk, he’d been poked and prodded more than most people will experience in a lifetime.
He may be small on a tee box, but she sees a presence which looms large.
“He's my miracle baby. He’s my million-dollar baby,” Julie said. “I sit there and I watch him play golf and I’m like, we were wondering if he would have cerebral palsy and if he would even be able to walk without braces or be in a wheelchair, and here you are. He’s definitely defied every odd and is the epitome of perseverance and courage that you can’t even explain.”
So she celebrates it all, and Davis does the same, too. It’s why he is so quick to strike up a conversation, or try to make an incoming freshman feel welcome before they step on campus. Golf is important to him, yet you can’t ride too high or too low, but you also have to fight for everything you want.
He learned that early, even if just subconsciously. It’s no wonder Julie celebrates through the tears every January 7. Davis may blow out the candles, but as a mom, she’s simply blown away.