You had three wins last year as a freshman, how did that help to prepare you for this year?

KD: It helped me to realize where you need to be going into tournaments and going into final rounds, how to prepare for them and how to stay calm. It also helped me realize how helpful playing well individually can benefit the team overall.

 

What is the best part of your golf game?

KD: I would probably say my short game. I don’t hit it that far, so you need to be able to make some putts and hit some good chips when you’re not hitting it as far as the other guys.

 

Do you have any sort of routine before you hit the ball or when you set up over it?

KD: I like to step behind the ball and visualize the shot. Then get comfortable, step up and once I’m over the ball, I don’t think about anything. I just let it fly.

 

How do you try and stay focused when you hit a bad shot on a hole?

KD: I try and really regroup after each shot. We have a saying on our team, ‘swing free and then go find it.’ So that’s what I try and do. Hit the shot and wherever it goes, you find it and reset. It is definitely a challenge because you can shoot 66 then 86 in back-to-back rounds.

 

What do you feel is the most important aspect of a golfer’s game: the mental or physical side?

KD: The mental side. I think you can have all the skills but [to] be weak mentally and [shoot] a couple bad holes can destroy you or even a bad round can destroy you for the rest of the season. The ability to bounce back and forget about things is huge.

 

If you had to pick one club to play a full round with, what would it be and why?

KD: Probably my seven iron. It goes far enough that you can hit it off the tee and into greens, but you can also chip and putt with it pretty easily.

 

You shot 73-71 in the last tournament, how have you been able to start getting some good rounds together toward the end of this season?

KD: I’ve been trying to look at my game and see what I do the best and playing to those strengths. I’m not trying to play with guys that hit it farther. I’ve been sticking to my strengths and trying to get the most out of those.

 

With two top 10 finishes in the last two tournaments for the team as a whole, what has coach been preaching to the team as of late?

KD: We as a team have been preaching to each other to stay mentally prepared [for] each round. Then the physical results will come if we do that. We’ve also been trying to remind each other that we are trending in the right direction [of] going into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament.

 

What do you think the team and you individually, can accomplish at the MAAC Championship coming up on Friday?

KD: Any of the five of us could win it individually. As a team, if we can put together three solid rounds, we have a very good chance to compete. At the end of the day, we have to just go play golf and hopefully the results will come.

 

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