The St. Thomas Aquinas College golf team is in Allendale, Michigan for the NCAA Golf Championships. Spartan golfer Tom Linehan will be sharing his experience in a daily diary, starting today. Tom and his teammates play their first round of action Monday morning, May 19.

 

Day 2 - Monday, May 19

 

The first round of the championship proved to be a challenging test. The course was set up very difficult as the pins were tucked and the rough was treacherous. 

I began the day just as I do any tournament round, about a hour to stretch, putt, and hit range balls. The beginning of the round went well as I recorded pars on the first three holes, birdied the par 5 fifth and the par 4 sixth holes.  After that, the course really tested my nerves and heart, as things did not go as smoothly. I moved away from my game plan, and tried to attack difficult pin locations. On 7 I lost my ball right of the green, it's still there somewhere plugged in the deep wet rough. I missed a few more fairways and greens which lead to more bogeys. Fighting the wind and the difficult course, I closed the round with birdies on two of the final three holes. 

Every round of golf is a learning experience. Tomorrow, we will all play the course a little differently, maybe being a little more conservative off of the tee to ensure an approach from the fairway, and to be more selective of what pins locations to aim at. Patience over the next two rounds will be essential for a successful tournament. 

We are currently in a tie for 13th place, but only ten shots behind 5th place. So the leaderboard is very tight. The goal is to make the "Elite 8" after the third round. The top eight teams will play match play to determine the winner of the DII National Championship. 

Off of the golf course we have been busy as well. Last night we went to a banquet at a museum in Grand Rapids. There, all twenty teams were introduced to Victoria, a 14 year old local girl with an inspirational story. She had very serious health complications which left her hospitalized for months. Victoria is a recipient of the Make a Wish Foundation, and to hear her story and talk with her for a few minutes brought a lot of things into perspective. She is a sweet, kind, funny, and typical 14 year old girl. We all walked away from the banquet realizing how blessed many of us are to be in good health, and able to play the sport we love. The bad days on the course are nothing compared to the daily struggles many people face, including Victoria. Participating in events like this is what Division II is all about, it builds character, it's a learning experience, and most of all it gives back to the communities around us. 

          -Tommy Linehan
          Co-Captain STAC golf team

Diary entry after round 2: