Failure at little league football makes for great golf
Practice had been canceled on account of poor weather the day I trudged my way out to the Logan Golf and Country Club to speak to Jake Blair, one of USU’s most promising golf team members.
The fact that Blair still made time to come to the course was flattering, not to mention that he agreed to talk to me while sitting on the rain-soaked seat of a golf cart.
One of the USU golf team captains, Blair looks to focus on improvement this season, after a failed little league football career.
“As you can see, I’m not the biggest kid,” Blair said. ” I played really well, but just always got hurt.”
Due to frequent injuries while attempting tackles and interceptions as a child, Blair found golf. Now a senior at USU majoring in outdoor parks and recreation, Blair has reluctantly given up his dream of becoming a football star and opted for a life of fairways and birdies.
Taking an interest in golf along with his dad and brother, Blair found he liked the sport early on and decided to continue. A fan of golf greats Davis Love III and Chris DiMarco, Blair admires those who give 100 percent to the game.
“Anyone who plays against Tiger [Woods] is an underdog,” said Blair of DiMarco. “He always tries to rise to the challenge.”
Taking the example of these players and applying them to his game, he enjoys every minute he spends on a golf course. His favorite course, however has been the Eisenhower Golf Course in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he came in second in the USU team standings behind teammate Preston Otte on Sept.10, during the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational.
Before tournament play, Blair, a graduate of Sky View High School in Smithfield, pays close attention to staying calm. When his nerves get the best of him, he said it helps to remain focused and prepared for whatever happens on the first tee and throughout the entire day on the course.
“You just have to remind yourself it’s just another round of golf,” Blair said. “It’s a mental thing.”
When asked what course he would love to play, there was no hesitation in his answer of Augusta National in Augusta, Ga. Taking time out to attend the Masters tournament at Augusta last year only fueled his passion for the game.
Always looking forward to traveling with the team, Blair enthusiastically defines their chemistry as “awesome.” He said he prefers road travel to flying when heading to tournaments, as it’s easier to get to know teammates when driving in a van.
“On the road, we have a blast,” said Blair. “We just laugh all the time. We get along great.”
Still not satisfied with his performance in Colorado Springs or at the Red and Purple Golf Invitational on Sept. 18 and 19, where he tied for 36th overall, Blair has seen improvement in his game. Hard work in practices and learning from mistakes made on the course will help in figuring out how to make adjustments to further his game, he said.
Blair said he hopes to take skills learned during his years at USU to become the manager of a golf course some time in the future. His outdoor parks and recreation major will certainly play a large role in this endeavor.
As the Aggie golf team continues throughout the season, Blair is wanting to become a more accomplished player. With the team returning home from the Idaho Fall Classic in Moscow, Idaho, Blair said he knows improvement is something the team is very capable of doing. Golf season for the Aggies will continue on Oct. 21 and 22 at the Southern Utah Duel in Cedar City, Utah.
“I’m looking forward to not only making ourselves better,” said Blair, “but coming together and doing it as a team.” -eawads@cc.usu.edu