Editor’s Note: This article first appeared as part of the November 12 flipbook. 

Pierceson and Parker Coody are some of the nation’s best golfers, and they have the genes to prove it. 

The twins’ grandfather, Charles Coody, who won the 1971 Masters Tournament, and father, Kyle Coody, who, in 1983, was the first of the Coody’s to attend and golf at Texas, both kept the clubs close to the Longhorn seniors from day one. 

However their family’s expansive golf legacy played a strong role in pushing them out of playing the sport for a period in their childhood.

“As soon as we got basic motor functions, they had clubs in our hands,” Pierceson said. “It really pushed us away from golf.”

In fourth grade, Pierceson and Parker explored other sports that didn’t involve the family’s pressure on the two to play golf.

“There was kind of an overbearing sense of golf in the family, and other sports became really interesting,” Pierceson said. “When you’re young, the ball’s small and doesn’t go very far, and it’s not a very fun sport to play.”

Once the twins stepped back into golf in sixth grade, Charles and Kyle took less of a hands-on approach and let the twins navigate the sport on their own. The twins haven’t looked back since.

Pierceson is ranked second internationally at the amateur level, according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking and helped lead the Longhorns to a strong finish this fall and a first place finish in Big 12 match play in mid October.

And Parker, ranked in the 68th internationally, led Texas to a second place finish in the first tournament of the fall at Maridoe Collegiate.

Both their father and grandfather carried immense but differing roles in the twins’ introduction, development and eventual success on the course.

In the twins’ eyes, their grandfather’s mental approach and advice has added an invaluable aspect to their game.

“A lot of people can hit a golf ball and hit it really well,” Pierceson said. “It’s just how well you do when it counts, and that’s what (our grandfather) has really helped us with, especially through college.”

The Masters champion added that with two professional level golfers like his grandsons, he almost wishes he could combine them into one.

“Pierceson has a tendency to be a little more aggressive than Parker, and Parker is a little more conservative,” Charles said. “I kind of wish we could blend the two together and get one.”

Charles highlighted the trend with many golfers today to swing from the tee as hard as they can, and the advice he gives his grandsons against that.

“Everybody is swinging from their heels trying to hit it as far as they possibly can,” Charles said. “And that’s good, but at some point you’ve got to think it’s a much easier game in the short grass than in the long grass behind those trees.”

Of course, having a Masters champion for your grandfather has its ups, but the twins’ father, Kyle, has had more of a direct influence on their golf game since day one.

Kyle has served as the twins’ caddy throughout much of their amateur careers and has been Pierceson and Parker’s main source of technical advice and support throughout the years.

“He’s not our full-time coach, but he really feels like a coach. If I ever have questions, I’m going to text him first or send him videos of my swing,” Pierceson said. “So our dad has been, by far, the biggest influence in our life and our golfing careers.”

With their father and grandfather behind them, both have their eyes set on the PGA Tour, which would only add to the Longhorns’ extensive resume of producing elite golfers at the professional level.

The sky’s the limit for two of Texas’ most electric golfers.