It’s been quite an eventful year for Emerald Bay Club’s James Carroll. The former Henderson High School and Baylor University athlete has been reliving some history with his old Bear teammates, but he had a bit of individual achievement on Sunday.

Carroll, 82, parred the course at the beautiful and scenic Emerald Bay Club course, shooting a 71, 11 strokes under his age.

He had two huge birdie putts to help him card the special round — a 93-footer on hole No. 5 and then closed out the round with a 6-footer on No. 18.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Carroll, an all-around athlete at Henderson who went to Baylor on a track scholarship and also played football. “The putt on the fifth hole broke about six feet. I stepped it off and it was 31 yards.

“I knew I had to hit it up close on 18 if I had a chance for par. We were facing the sun and you have to hit across the water there.”

Carroll hit it up close and drained the putt.

“The first thing I said to my playing partners, ‘I’m glad I played with y’all today because I just shot par,’” Carroll said.

His playing partners were Jack Jackson and Harold Little.

Carroll said he scored 1-over on the front nine and 1-under on the back.

The Emerald Bay resident said he has enjoyed his Bears’ resurgence in the Big 12 and opening of the new stadium.

Carroll actually saw the opening and the closing of Baylor Stadium (later named Floyd Casey), plus the opening of the new McLane Stadium on the Brazos River.

“I was there for the first game at old Baylor Stadium on September 30, 1950,” Carroll said. “And then I was there for the closing when we beat Texas for the Big 12 title last year.”

The stadium seated 30,000 in 1950. The Bears defeated the University of Houston, 34-7, before 25,000 fans, the most ever for a football game in Waco at the time. Texas Gov. Allan Shivers and his wife Marialice Shary Shivers were in attendance for the first game there.

Fast forward to Dec. 7, 2013, and Carroll was in the stands this time when the Bears defeated Texas, 30-10, to win their first Big 12 football championship. In the process, Baylor closed down Floyd Casey Stadium before a stadium record of 51,728.

And on Aug. 31, 2014, Carroll visited the new lettermen’s lounge and was in attendance for the first game at the spectacular McLane Stadium. The Bears scored an impressive 45-0 win over SMU. Former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, along with Texas GOP senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz were in attendance.

“I was talking to some of the lettermen and one said Baylor’s facilities can compete with any of the state universities,” Carroll said.

After the football it was back to the golf course.

So what’s next?

“My goal is to shoot 70 before I hang’em up,” Carroll said.