Jack Nicklaus often said that the game of golf is 90-percent mental.
Lake Orion golf coach Monty Gallaher and his players all agree, and they are putting that theory to test this spring.
‘There’s always going to be a time when the mental game comes in, and that’s where we’ve got to win,? Gallaher said. ‘You can make physical errors from time to time, but you can’t make mental errors.?
With their season moving from the fall to the spring, Gallaher tried to make lemons out of lemonade. When courses were unplayable in March, the team practiced putting in the school hallways, took rules tests online and met with a sports psychologist.
Now that the season is in full swing, the team is still working on the mental game. Gallaher said one focus is translating strong practice rounds into tournament play.
‘The really good players will score better in the tournaments than in practice,? he said, offering former player David Kurtz as an example.
One player on that track in the early part of this season is junior Cameron Beeler.
‘Cameron has been playing the best golf on the team,? Gallaher noted. ‘His tournament average so far is 76.?
Beeler led the team with a 75 on Monday at the West Bloomfield Invitational, held at Tam O’Shanter. The team placed fifth, with Kyle Wesley (78), Andy Bogus (80) and Jeff Worster (85) rounding out the team scoring.
Gallaher said Bogus is coming on strong after a slow start.
‘Andy shot a (1-under) 36 at Bald Mountain against Rochester and I think it got him going,? he said.
The Dragons won that match, their first head-to-head competition of the year, 163-164, last week.
‘It kind of pumped us up a bit,? Gallaher said.
Wesley, a junior, joins Bogus and Beeler as the team’s top three players, according to the coach, with seniors Brett Bryan, Ian Peterson and Worster (in his first year with the team) competing with sophomores Paul Couretas and Eric Wandschneider for the final three spots on a daily basis.
Gallaher said the competition in practice has helped keep everyone on their toes.
The team will head to Traverse City this weekend for one of the state’s biggest events of the season.
‘It’s a good time for us because the guys get to bond,? Gallaher noted. ‘We’ve got really good team chemistry.?
He hopes that chemistry, along with a sound mental game, will help the team lower their scores throughout the season.
As for the competition, Gallaher said good results will follow a good attitude on the course.
‘We finished last at the first OAA Red meet, so there’s no where to go but up.?