The golf season is slowly but surely winding down, but Coach Mike Mayer says the team just has to keep pushing to get positive results.
Mayer is in his 18th year at the helm of the golf program, and never in his 18 years has he kept the same top five in the lineup for an entire season. This time around, however, that could change.
“Right now it’s our top five, the same we’ve had all year,” Mayer said. “I don’t think in my 18 years I’ve ever done that. That could be a good thing or a not so good thing because you want somebody pushing those guys.”
The one-two golfers for the season have been redshirt freshman Jake Brown and sophomore Brendon Doyle, and Mayer said they have to play like one-two guys.
“What we missed last week was our one-two guys,” Mayer said. “We definitely need our one-two men showing up, and that’s Jake and Brendon. They have throughout the season, and we rely on that.”
Aside from those one-two guys in the lineup, one golfer who has stepped up his game is junior Andrew Havill, Mayer said. Last week Havill shot an even 72 in round one and followed that up with a 2-over 74 round on Sunday at the Hoosier Collegiate in Columbus, Indiana.
“I’m really pleased with what he has done the last two tournaments,” Mayer said. “He’s done it sort of effortlessly too and there wasn’t anything special about it, particularly at Otter Creek. I think there is a lot left in his tank.”
The one-two guys may have been missed, but one golfer who thinks he is starting to find his game is junior Keegan Vea. There is one change he said has helped him gain some confidence.
“I recently switched putters a few weeks ago and am finally gaining some confidence seeing the ball go in the hole,” Vea said. “I showed a lot of good signs last weekend at Otter Creek short game-wise, but now I have to get the ball striking back in there.”
Last week at the Hoosier Collegiate, Vea shot 1-over in the first round and followed up with a 4-over during Sunday’s final round. Moving forward into the Boilermaker Collegiate this weekend and the Big Ten Championships in two weeks, Vea said he feels confident.
“We’ve played Kampen last year in the tournament and then I’ve grown up in Evansville, so I’ve played Victoria growing up and they are both awesome golf courses, so I love playing them,” Vea said. “I think it does fit my game well because it puts an emphasis on driving the golf ball, and that’s the emphasis of my game.”
Now moving forward into the homestretch of the season, Mayer said the Hoosiers are right there, and a player like redshirt freshman Jack Sparrow, who posted a 1-under on Saturday, is pushing the top five.
“I still think we’re a player away or a player playing great away from really being competitive,” Mayer said. “We have to have that push that makes the whole team better.”
Maybe that player is Vea, maybe it’s Havill or maybe even Sparrow as an individual, but Mayer said he needs one guy to step up each round.
“I think each round we have to have somebody decide to go low,” Mayer said.
