Golfers thrive in off-season

Sporting goods stores are filled with gimmicks offering to take strokes off of one's golf game. But, the best way to improve a golf game is simply to play as much as possible, according to IU men's golf coach Mike Mayer. Mayer believes that over the summer his players have to be responsible for themselves and improve their game on their own.\n"As far as what I can do, it's minimal. I can encourage; I can motivate; I can inspire, but I can't dictate anything over the summer," Mayer said. "It's taking upon themselves to play a lot of very competitivie golf."\nSo during the summer, the Hoosiers played. Juniors Heath Peters and Jeff Overton both had strong summers and are being counted on to provide leadership for the rest of the team.\n"I've been trying to play in as many golf tournaments as possible, just to keep the competitive edge," Peters said. "The more tournaments you get in, the better the competition, it's easier to rate your game."\nThe highlight of Peters' summer was the 88th Indiana Open Championship. The junior shot rounds of 69, 71, 69, and 70 and finished seventh. Peters was 11 strokes behind the winner, but his 9-under par total was the best among amateurs. \nOverton played in tournaments around the country and collected numerous honors. Among Overton's tournaments were the Indiana State Amateur Championships, the North South Amateur Championships, the US Amateur Public Links Championship, the Western Amateur, and the Evansville City Championship. \nOverton won the Indiana State Amateur Championships by 12 strokes. In Pinehurst, N.C., Overton won his first four matches at the North South Amateur before being eliminated. At the Public Links, in Galloway Township, N.J., Overton shot an opening round 64 for seven under par, which tied Robert Gamez's 1989 second-round score for lowest single round score in tournament history. Overton went on to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by ninth seed Dayton Rose.\n"I played in a bunch of really top-level golf tournaments, and I've actually had a pretty decent summer," Overton said. "I think that it got me ready for the upcoming season."\nThe way Peters and Overton have performed against such top-level competition has Mayer optimistic for this season. But Mayer says that other Hoosiers have done well over the summer and give support to his hopes for improvement.\n"(Sophomore) Brad Marek played a lot. (Sophomore) Scott Siebert played a lot. (Senior) Mike Birkenfeld played a lot. That's what it takes to be good," Mayer said. "You have to have a commitment over the summertime, playing in all these events. It's quite a commitment. It's a time commitment; it's a financial commitment, and they have to take it upon themselves to do it."\nMayer and the Hoosiers seem excited to finally get the season under way. But, more importantly, they feel that they have done what they needed to do to get prepared.\n"I'm thrilled with the summer we've had," Mayer said. "So going into this year I think we're very optimistic that things will work out in our favor." \n-- Contact staff writer Charlie Gillingham at cgilling@indiana.edu.