Winning a tournament takes more than just being able to play well. It takes patience, practice and the abilityto stay focused under pressure. 

         With this mindset in golf, senior Chase Sorensen was able to win the Canyon Hills Tournament in Nephi on August 25, adding to his successful season. 

         Sorensen has the best average on the team with a score of 75. The team individually has an average score of 85 and are currently ranked 3rd in region and 12th in state. 

         Sorensen believes his success comes from his ability to stay focused when things get stressful. 

         “Mentally, I'm really tough. I mean, I get a lot of things crossing my mind when golfing. 

         Like what I've been doing at night, or really the next morning, nothing really on golf, but I'm pretty strong mentally,” Sorensen said. 

         Sorensen is not the only one finding success on the course. Senior Caze Lund has been training and practicing many hours so that he could improve this season.

         “Hard work, multiple hours putting, many hours on the range, I'm probably there for like 5 hours a day,” senior Caze Lund said. 

         Although players need help from peers, since becoming head coach in 2018, Pollock has worked with many different players and has watched them improve throughout the season. He enjoys the bus rides with players because he gets to learn something new about them and it helps them connect with each other. 

         All of the practice prepares the players for more than just improving their swings. Tournaments can put the athletes in situations where they have to stay focused while dealing with pressure from the others such as players, coaches, and even spectators. Learning how to handle those moments can be just as important as the physical part of the sport. 

         “They create diversity for the kids, and they get to play different courses. Work on their course management in a high stress situation,” Pollock said. “We got people watching you, parents, other players. It is very stressful.”

         Even with pressure that comes from competing, staying calm can help players focus on what they control. For Sorensen, instead of letting everything happening around him affect his game, he tries to keep his attention on other things, like what he'll do later or what he’s done the night before and tends to not stress about his shots. This mindset allows him to stay focused and prepared when the competition becomes stressful. 

         As the season continues, they're going to keep practicing and improving their skills not just physically but also mentally. The time spent practicing and competing has helped players learn how to deal with things in high stress situations.