Friday, February 19
Palm Desert, CA
UC Riverside
vs
Wyoming
Sam He, Men's Golf: The Reunion with the Game
2/23/2021 7:42:00 PM | Men's Golf
RIVERSIDE, Calif. —This past weekend, the UC Riverside Men's Golf team competed in their first event of the 20–21 season after an 11-month layoff due to Covid 19.
The Classic Club in Palm Desert provided the stage for the University of Wyoming hosted Desert Intercollegiate.
Senior men's golfer Sam He, who was the Highlanders' top finisher (T39), provides his perspective on returning to competition.Â
1. What were your feelings when you knew that the season would actually occur?
A. I was very excited about the season starting, and immediately created a plan to get myself ready for the first tournament.
2. How has Coach Todd supported you and the team throughout this uncertain time?
A. Coach kept the communication going throughout the lockdown until we came back for the season. He made sure that everyone is aware of the resources that we have and the things that we can do to keep ourselves safe.
3. Talk about the day/night before the tournament? The testing, nerves, excitement, etc.
A. Testing was super simple, we just drove thru and it only took about 10 minutes. I think I was more excited than nervous. I have been playing tournaments for 14 years now, I think I was more overwhelmed by the idea of playing with my team again. Nerves might've been present but the overwhelming excitement took over for the most part.
4. At what point in the round/tournament did things start to feel "normal"?
A. Everything felt pretty normal as soon as I started preparing for the tournament. I don't really feel any difference when I was at the tournament beside wearing a mask.
5. Everyone has been through a lot mentally during this pandemic. How helpful was it for you to be able to focus on competing and gets lost in it?
A. I am naturally ultra competitive, not being able to play in big tournaments was pretty boring for me over the last year. To be honestly I was not practicing as much during the summer because I did not see the purpose of practicing since there's no tournaments. Luckily I picked up the pace later in the year and got myself ready for the spring season. The final two weeks I cranked up the workload further to prepare for the season. So overall I think it was a progression for me from not knowing what to do to having a clear goal for the new year.
Sam is an Economics major, who is considering a minor in statistics. His goal is to become a professional golfer, while he also has an interest in being an investment advisor.Â
The Highlanders finish 21st at the Classic Club, but for Coach Todd, He and the team, just being able to play was winning. Their next event is the Sacramento State Invitational March 1–2 at Valley Hi Country Club.
The Classic Club in Palm Desert provided the stage for the University of Wyoming hosted Desert Intercollegiate.
Senior men's golfer Sam He, who was the Highlanders' top finisher (T39), provides his perspective on returning to competition.Â
1. What were your feelings when you knew that the season would actually occur?
A. I was very excited about the season starting, and immediately created a plan to get myself ready for the first tournament.
2. How has Coach Todd supported you and the team throughout this uncertain time?
A. Coach kept the communication going throughout the lockdown until we came back for the season. He made sure that everyone is aware of the resources that we have and the things that we can do to keep ourselves safe.
3. Talk about the day/night before the tournament? The testing, nerves, excitement, etc.
A. Testing was super simple, we just drove thru and it only took about 10 minutes. I think I was more excited than nervous. I have been playing tournaments for 14 years now, I think I was more overwhelmed by the idea of playing with my team again. Nerves might've been present but the overwhelming excitement took over for the most part.
4. At what point in the round/tournament did things start to feel "normal"?
A. Everything felt pretty normal as soon as I started preparing for the tournament. I don't really feel any difference when I was at the tournament beside wearing a mask.
5. Everyone has been through a lot mentally during this pandemic. How helpful was it for you to be able to focus on competing and gets lost in it?
A. I am naturally ultra competitive, not being able to play in big tournaments was pretty boring for me over the last year. To be honestly I was not practicing as much during the summer because I did not see the purpose of practicing since there's no tournaments. Luckily I picked up the pace later in the year and got myself ready for the spring season. The final two weeks I cranked up the workload further to prepare for the season. So overall I think it was a progression for me from not knowing what to do to having a clear goal for the new year.
Sam is an Economics major, who is considering a minor in statistics. His goal is to become a professional golfer, while he also has an interest in being an investment advisor.Â
The Highlanders finish 21st at the Classic Club, but for Coach Todd, He and the team, just being able to play was winning. Their next event is the Sacramento State Invitational March 1–2 at Valley Hi Country Club.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
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