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WEST LAFAYETTE — Matthew Oakley had all the talent a year ago.
The difference between Oakley's freshman and sophomore seasons with McCutcheon golf is the mental aspect.
"He plays a ton of golf in the summer, so he's as experienced as anybody. But as far as the mental golf game goes, it's night and day different," McCutcheon boys golf coach Joe Marsh said. "Last year he's trying to fit in. This year he's like, I belong and I am a top five kid in every tournament."
Oakley got a chance to display that Friday at Coyote Crossing against some of the state's best in a tournament that included four top-10 teams, including regional runner-up and top-ranked Westfield and regional champion and fourth-ranked Guerin Catholic.
While overnight storms did their best to derail the course, Oakley wasn't frazzled on a day where several struggled, shooting a 75 to reach the IHSAA state finals as an individual.
Part of Oakley's newfound mental aspect is the ability to bounce back.
More: Harrison golf's reset pays off with repeat sectional championship
On Monday, Oakley shot a solid round overall at Battle Ground Golf Club, carding a 75 in the sectional. But he double bogeyed the 15th and 17th holes, ending on a sour note.
"He was definitely disappointed. He doubled two of the last four holes coming in," Marsh said. "One great thing about him is his bounce back. It's a great golf game mindset to have. Whether it's good or bad, he's just like, I am going to go play the next day and be ok with it."
McCutcheon's tee times allowed for an early morning spent on the driving range at Purdue's Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, which eased the tension for Oakley ahead of the regional.
Oakley's focus all year has been on reaching the IHSAA state finals and just four days after that undesirable end to a sectional round, Oakley recorded the fifth-lowest round in the regional.
"I had a feeling it would be a 76 or 75 to get out. I told myself I have to play average to get out," Oakley said. "I think what factored into me playing better than most people because of the range."
Now he'll go from courses he's most comfortable with in Tippecanoe County to one he's never played, Carmel's Prairie View Golf Club, for the two-day tournament starting June 16.
"It's going to open my eyes a lot to how good people actually are," Oakley said.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon golfer Matthew Oakley qualifies for IHSAA state finals
Continue reading...
The difference between Oakley's freshman and sophomore seasons with McCutcheon golf is the mental aspect.
"He plays a ton of golf in the summer, so he's as experienced as anybody. But as far as the mental golf game goes, it's night and day different," McCutcheon boys golf coach Joe Marsh said. "Last year he's trying to fit in. This year he's like, I belong and I am a top five kid in every tournament."
Oakley got a chance to display that Friday at Coyote Crossing against some of the state's best in a tournament that included four top-10 teams, including regional runner-up and top-ranked Westfield and regional champion and fourth-ranked Guerin Catholic.
While overnight storms did their best to derail the course, Oakley wasn't frazzled on a day where several struggled, shooting a 75 to reach the IHSAA state finals as an individual.
Part of Oakley's newfound mental aspect is the ability to bounce back.
More: Harrison golf's reset pays off with repeat sectional championship
On Monday, Oakley shot a solid round overall at Battle Ground Golf Club, carding a 75 in the sectional. But he double bogeyed the 15th and 17th holes, ending on a sour note.
"He was definitely disappointed. He doubled two of the last four holes coming in," Marsh said. "One great thing about him is his bounce back. It's a great golf game mindset to have. Whether it's good or bad, he's just like, I am going to go play the next day and be ok with it."
McCutcheon's tee times allowed for an early morning spent on the driving range at Purdue's Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, which eased the tension for Oakley ahead of the regional.
Oakley's focus all year has been on reaching the IHSAA state finals and just four days after that undesirable end to a sectional round, Oakley recorded the fifth-lowest round in the regional.
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"I had a feeling it would be a 76 or 75 to get out. I told myself I have to play average to get out," Oakley said. "I think what factored into me playing better than most people because of the range."
Now he'll go from courses he's most comfortable with in Tippecanoe County to one he's never played, Carmel's Prairie View Golf Club, for the two-day tournament starting June 16.
"It's going to open my eyes a lot to how good people actually are," Oakley said.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon golfer Matthew Oakley qualifies for IHSAA state finals
Continue reading...
