I Want to Play College Golf

We had a wonderful time laughing and speaking with Chris Riley. His happy-go-lucky attitude made for a great interview and a great lesson to both of us. “If it's raining, I want it to rain harder; if the wind's blowing, I want it to blow harder,” said Riley. “There's nothing that gets me down. I think you have to embrace all the challenges and the time you deal with that gets you ahead on the golf course and in life...

One of our biggest takeaways from speaking from Bryana Nguyen is to never give up what you’re doing and to always go to the finish line. Also, if you’re going to do something—whether it’s a sport, writing a book, or even finishing your vegetables—do it on your account. Do things that make you happy and excite you. In the long run, that’s all that matters. Life is too short for unhappiness.

Eric Meeks taught us that work ethic can truly take you to extraordinary places. Though he wasn’t the number one player during his junior career, his hard work, confidence, dedication, and discipline turned him into the number 1 ranked amateur in the world and a successful professional. Oh, and the awesome coach we know today, too. Meeks also taught us that consistency helps you deal with pressure...

One of our biggest takeaways from speaking with Cameron Meeks was to constantly be either playing or practicing. This will help strengthen your abilities, get the necessary exposure, and help your ranking. It will also help with college recruitment in the future. Another takeaway is to simply work hard because working hard is the pathway to a successful future—in golf and life.

Here were two recurring themes during our conversation with Bob May: One, practice. Two, focus. Sure, we practice, but are we practicing enough? Also, are we focusing enough? Are we visualizing and manifesting our desired tournament and playing as if we’re already there? There is always room for improvement, and since speaking to May, we have started treating each practice like our dream tournament. 

We also connected with May since our parents don’t play golf either...

A big takeaway from our conversation with Jason D’Amore is authenticity. If a player doesn't love their sport, their journey will not work out well. So, if you’re going to do something, make sure you love it or you’re wasting your time. 

Our parents often ask us “Do you really love golf?” Just like D’Amore, they believe if we don’t love it, we should look for something that brings us joy. However, we truly do...

We all have been through some form of adversity in our life, and sharing our stories is so important. Bob Lasken did just that: share what he’s been through and how he’s gotten through it all, which is moving. Through Lasken, we learned to not sulk or dwell on the negatives and instead, keep moving forward. 

We also learned a lot about building a community of good and motivational players. We would love to have more people around us like his childhood friends and teammates...

After speaking with Mika Jin, our biggest takeaway was gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. We believe her gratitude and perception of the game have made her the bubbly and vibrant golfer she is today. If you’re grateful for the opportunities golf gives you and always try to “love what you do,” you will go a long way—and that’s been witnessed in her journey. 

We also learned a lot about being positive even when we aren’t doing well...

To have a life outside of golf! Many people get too caught up in perfecting their golf game and fail to realize there’s life outside of golf. It’s great to be dedicated, but at the end of the day, you only have one life—so make the best of it. 

Englemann is also one of the best girls in the nation. She puts in the hard work and dedication—and sees the results. Many focus too much on the outcome, but successful people like Englemann take pleasure in their journey and stay patient...

Joels recommends practicing with someone who drives you—whether they’re your parents or guardians or whether they’re your coach. According to the young golfer, you should make sure you work with someone who knows your swing and who “drives you a little bit further and pushes you.” Joels’ father, Douglas Joels, has been a huge influence in her life and golf journey. Joels said she practices best with her father, and obtains more focus and sees more improvements with him, too...