RED BLUFF, Calif. - A Red Bluff High senior is not going to let the coronavirus stop him from teeing up at Division I college next year.

Rodriguez is on the golf course six days a week for up to eight hours a day working on his game.

He placed 5th in the American Junior Golf Association tournament in Kentucky and second in Wisconsin.

“When I first started competing I was coming in dead last in the little tournaments and now I have worked up to the biggest ones in America and have come into the top five twice this summer so definitely improved,” said Rodriguez.

Kurtis Rodriguez landed a scholarship to play golf at the University of Nebraska Omaha despite many COVID-19 setbacks.

“With all of this COVID-19 happening, there were less opportunities for my class to go to certain colleges,” said Rodriguez. “I had a couple schools tell me they were done recruiting.

The NCAA gave student-athletes an additional senior of competition and that created less space for incoming freshmen, like Rodriguez to make the roster.

But the Red Bluff senior persevered and even traveled to earn a spot on Omaha’s team.

“I was supposed to go to Iowa, and the Omaha coaches were supposed to watch but then the NCAA put a ban on in-person recruiting so they weren't allowed to watch anymore and so they tracked my scores and sent me an offer without ever watching me,” said Rodriguez.

Kurtis is unsure if he will have a senior season at Red Bluff High School but says he will compete in his last AJGA tournament in Oregon on Tuesday.