The student wanted the assignments.
And the professor, as the kids say, understood the assignment.
Could Matt McCarthy have replied to Boston Bracken’s email unhappily? Or briefly? Or left it unopened? He could have. But instead, he answered in the way we’re going to share below. It’s good. It may also make you wish he was your teacher.
The response came after Bracken, a freshman on the Arizona State men’s golf team, messaged McCarthy, one of his professors at ASU, as Bracken was playing last month in the Wohali Classic at Wohali Golf Course in Utah. Under the subject line “Boston Bracken Missing Class,” that note read:
Hello Professor,
My name is Boston Bracken. I am on the ASU men’s golf team, below is the travel letter for all of our tournaments.
We are currently in Utah for the Wohali tournament. I will continue to stay on top of all the canvas work. If there is anything important that I need to be aware of please let me know!
Thank you!!
Boston Bracken
Kudos to Bracken for being responsible.
Then came the response.
There’s golf in it. There’s humor. There’s support. Here it is:
Hi Boston,
Is anything important that you need to be aware of? Are you kidding dude!? Here, I’ll do Coach [Matt] Thurmond’s job for him: (Can’t believe you’re asking me, I’m only an 8 handicap, but here goes.)
Wohali Golf Club is Long!: Over 7,500 yards means long holes, especially from the back tees. Requires distance off the tee, and solid long iron / fairway wood play.
Adjust for Elevation / Terrain: Being in the Utah mountains / Wasatch Back, there’s elevation changes — uphill and downhill shots, uneven lies, potentially thin air if higher up. These make club selection more complex and require precision.
Consider Design & Architecture: Woholi was designed by Dave Boyden, so the course has a mix of challenge and beauty. Holes vary quite a bit, with forced carries, visual hazards, and strategic elements.
In the future, please direct your concerns to Coach Thurmond! A few more things: 1. Please tell your teammates to complete the Dirty Thirty! (It gives me anxiety.) 2. Find me when you get back if you need me to get you caught up. 3. GO DEVILS!
A short while later, the ASU social media team shared the exchange, and the Twitter post can be found here and the Instagram post can be found here. Among the Instagram comments was also this, from Bracken:
The word “goat,” along with a goat emoji, preceded by a link to McCarthy’s account.
Well written.
“>
