Marks ready for fall
The names in the five starting spots for the Iowa men's golf team don't show much variety.
Brad Hopfinger, Vince India, Barrett Kelpin, and Chris Brant competed in all 13 of the squad's tournaments last season.
The No. 5 spot on head coach Mark Hankins' roster was the only one that varied at times in what appeared to be a head-to-head duel between Brad George and Ryan Marks.
Marks saw action in three events in his freshman campaign, and George competed in the other 10.
Now, two months into summer, Marks has compiled a résumé that proves he's in contention for a more permanent top-five spot this fall.
The sophomore took second at the 22nd Iowa Golf Association Match-Play Championship July 1, second at the Kansas City Amateur tournament July 9-11, and won the Missouri Stroke-Play Championship July 21-23.
Marks said he predicts his summer success will aid in his transition in August.
"I think [these tournaments] will help me," he said. "I had a rough start last fall and played better in the spring. But it'll give me some confidence coming back that I can compete with these guys and hopefully earn a spot in the top five."
The Warrensburg, Mo., native said his short game has gotten better this summer, and he attributes that progress to his personal growth beyond just his physical golf abilities.
"My mentality and the way I approach the game mentally has been better," he said. "I've been controlling my emotions a lot better and staying in the present and not getting ahead of myself."
George has stayed close to the golf course this summer as well. He plays in tournaments when not working in the pro shop at the Sunnyside Country Club in Waterloo.
The Marion native has competed in three events so far: the Waterloo Open (18th place), the Hunters Ridge Tournament (second place), and the Iowa Amateur (11th place).
He said he is ready to compete for time in the lineup this fall and is also dedicating a chunk of his practice time this summer to improving his mental game.
"I'm trying to work on just keeping calm on the golf course," George said. "Sometimes when I'm qualifying for tournaments, I lose my cool if I'm not playing well, and then it all compiles, and I start playing worse. Hopefully, what I've worked on this summer will transfer to this year and help me improve on the two years of college golf I've already played."
Hankins said summer improvement is entirely up to his players and that past seasons have no effect on who plays at the beginning of the new season.
"You have to be deep as a team, so [the players] understand that if you don't come back ready to play, then you're not going to qualify for the first tournament," Hankins said. "Just because these five guys started this past year, they'll still have to come back and qualify next year to play."
comments powered by Disqus
