By: Bethany Vonseggern
Mental focus, practice and determination have led the Griffons to a successful season. The 2018 season ended with a top-10 finish at the 2018 NCAA Division II Midwest/Central Regional.
Sophomore Pat McCarthy, who was named to the NCAA Division II PING All-Central Region Team, said physical and mental preparation is necessary for every match. Starting with a practice round, McCarthy gets in the mindset because he believes if you are not prepared days before, you will not be ready the day of the match.
“The day before I try to hit a lot of putts and really try to get the speed of the greens,” McCarthy said. “I always try to tell myself put things into perspective and just take one shot at a time and commit to every shot.”
Preparation doesn’t stop at an individual level. The Griffons have a rigorous training regimen that keeps the athletes on point and ready to handle distractions, high pressure situations and make immediate decisions on the green.
Assistant coach Ryan Hand said the synced goals of the coaching staff and his experience as a former member of the Griffon golf team has been beneficial to his coaching approach. Hand adapts to the needs of each athlete and thrives on being in the trenches with the team.
“We’re a team that won’t give up and a team that says ‘hey it’s not over until the last put goes in the hole,’” Hand said. “They [athletes] get the big picture. It’s not just week to week, they have one goal and that’s to get into post season tournaments.”
According to head coach Dillon the approach the athletes take to playing this individualized sport is more of a team effort. Dillon said each player is motivated to play at a high level and the demand to play at such a level only increases with each success.
Both the men’s and women’s team had great seasons with outstanding leadership from Patrick McCarthy and Shi Qing Ong. According to Hand the leadership of McCarthy and Ong, along with the genuine concern each player has for one another, is a tremendous morale booster for the team.
“It’s been really fun to have two great players, two great teams, but they all care for each other equally,” Hand said. “Everyone is on the same level in everyone’s mind. Even on bad rounds everyone is always asking ‘how are my teammates doing.’”
McCarthy said the overall season has been exceptional for the team in skill and comradery.
“It [Harding University tournament] was very nerve racking for us, but it was super fun,” McCarthy said. “ We didn’t win, but I know we learned a lot and had a ton of fun doing it. We are all good friends on the team and we hang out every night and just have fun.”
The Griffons continue to prepare for the upcoming season as coaches Dillon and Hand increase the geographic recruitment scope and guide their athletes to succeed both mentally and physically on the green.
