Welcome back to another edition of Husky History, the column that highlights a former UConn athlete and their careers, both collegiate and professional.
As the weather starts to warm and the grass starts to show, let’s take a look back and highlight arguably the best golfer in UConn history: Jimmy Hervol. From 2015 to 2019, he set several program records and garnered a handful of awards all on his way to playing professionally.
Hervol was born on Aug. 27, 1997, in Hopkinton, Mass. where he grew up playing golf. While at Hopkinton High School, the future Husky led as team captain for three seasons, with one of those teams finishing with an 18-0 record.
As a high schooler, he was no stranger to accolades; Hervol was named Tri-Valley League MVP two times, Tri-Valley League First Team four times and was honored to the Metrowest Daily New Golf Super Team.
Hervol came to Storrs in 2015 and had a very impressive freshman campaign. In the fall he played in all five events, averaging 74.6 strokes in 14 rounds. To highlight the fall, he finished a season-best eighth in the Hartford Hawks Invitational, which was his first tournament as a Husky.
In his sophomore season, Hervol stepped into the spotlight. He was named AAC September Golfer of the Month for winning the Doc Gimmler Invitational with three sub-70 stroke rounds. Later in the spring, Hervol turned in an eighth place finish at the AAC Championship, which was the best finish ever for a UConn player. For his efforts he was named to his first AAC All-Conference Team.
Hervol’s junior season brought more of the same. After placing top-10 in three of five events in the fall, he came back in the spring to secure his second tournament win of his career at the 2018 FAU Spring Championship. At the close of the season, he set a UConn stroke average record with a stellar 71.6.
Before his senior season, Hervol had already established himself as a UConn great, but his final year elevated him to the highest level. After a 27-year drought, Hervol became the first individual in the program to qualify for the NCAA Championship Regional. Unfortunately, he came up one stroke shy of qualifying for the NCAA Golf Championship Finals, but it still was an incredible feat.
By the end of his collegiate career, Hervol finished as UConn’s record holder for sub-70 rounds with 27 and rounds of par-or-better with 64. The three-time All-Conference selection undoubtedly had a professional future in his sights following graduation.
On Nov. 12, 2019, Hervol turned professional to play the game he loves, something that most athletes only wish to do. At only 26 years old, he has won a respectable sum of money and participated in some world-class tournaments.
In 2021, while playing on the Minor League Golf Tour, Hervol finished second out of 79 competitors in a qualifier round to advance to 121st U.S. Open. He was only 23 years old when he booked himself a trip to one of the most prestigious golf championships in the world.
After the first two days of competition, Hervol did not make the cut to advance further in the championship. Regardless, his presence there was a testament to his talent and work ethic at his young age.
The sky’s the limit for this former Husky. As the golf season approaches, expect to see Hervol turn in impressive performances all UConn fans can root for.