Orange Panther of the Week: Keaton Westbrook

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior golfer Keaton Westbrook. The son of former Orange High cross country runner Russell Westbrook, Keaton tried something different for his senior year. Westbrook was an established basketball player who even saw action as a freshman in a state playoff game at West Carteret. After three years on the hardwood, Westbrook played golf this spring and had the lowest average on Orange’s team. In the Central Conference Tournament match in Burlington, Westbrook finished with an 84, tops on the team. In a meet against Person and Cedar Ridge in April, Westbrook finished second in the field with a 9-hole score of 43, just two strokes behind Person senior Grant Phillips. Westbrook also had a 43 earlier this year. Westbrook has played at Occoneechee Golf Course in Hillsborough for home matches and teed it up as we recorded the video that accompanies this piece. Westbrook also played golf during his junior year and it was the most fun he had playing any sport. Westbrook graduated on Friday at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill. In August, he will attend UNC Wilmington and plans to play on the club team. He plays to study Coastal Engineering at UNCW.