Donning the green jacket for the second time in three years, Phil Mickelson is living the golfer's dream after his Masters victory Sunday. For the Virginia men's golf team, at least half of whom have aspirations of going pro, there is a similar ambition to excel which motivates their daily dedication.
The sport of golf is much like football, basketball and baseball in that playing in college is a stepping stone from which many hope to launch professional careers. Therefore, the members of the Virginia golf team play their sport year round.
At the collegiate level, golf is played both in the fall and the spring, with the spring culminating in the ACC and NCAA championship tournaments.
During times of the year designated as the "off-season," the NCAA places limits on the hours the coaches can require the golfers to work. For example, over Christmas break, the team can only be mandated to practice and/or condition for a total of eight hours. Typically, six of these hours are spent on conditioning while the other two are dedicated to physical work on their game. Nevertheless, the vast majority willingly exceed the eight hour obligation.
"Even though we can't require it, most guys compete and play in tournaments over Christmas on their own," Virginia coach Bowen Sargent said.
For most Virginia golfers, the summer is the busiest time of the year. Unlike most sports, there are no golf summer leagues. Instead, golfers play in individual tournaments which they are invited to based upon their national ranking. Over the course of the summer, it is not unusual for an athlete to play in a tournament nearly every week -- which averages out to around 10 or 11 tournaments total.
Unlike pro-golf, college golf is both a team and an individual sport. Each day, five golfers compete and the four lowest scores are counted towards the team's overall total. Individual scores are also recorded for each golfer, and, at the end, an individual winner is announced along with the team winner.
"There is of course a learning curve as there is in any sport when you go from the collegiate to the professional level," Sargent said. "But as far as the game is concerned, I do not think the team aspect of collegiate golf makes it a harder adjustment to the pros."
All year long, the team focuses on conditioning, working out twice a week during the season and four times a week in the off-season. Overall, physical fitness is actually even more important for college golfers than professional golfers because many collegiate tournaments require playing 36 holes in one day. Playing such a large number of holes can require a golfer to be on the course for 10 hours and walk upwards of 12 miles in a single day, all while carrying his 30 lb. golf bag.
"The most important reason for working out is for mental reasons," Sargent said. "When you get tired physically, you start making poor decisions mentally. It's very important to be in shape in order to avoid those mental mistakes."
While the next big professional tournament is the US Open, to be played in June, the Virginia golf team remains focused on the upcoming ACC and NCAA tournaments.
"The ACCs is always a great tournament," junior Daniel McGurk said. "And for two seniors, Brad Tilley and Carter Henderson, it will be their last."
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