an addiction. It is an internal contest battled on the tee, the fairway
and the green. Armed with a bag of weapons, the players make their way through
the often unforgiving terrain. It is a painstaking struggle for perfection
where every stroke, every touch of the ball and every mistake counts. There
are no double faults, no ‘three strikes you’re out’, no second chances.
It is a war, waged on 18 different battlegrounds, where determination to
overcome both the course and yourself are vital.
Those watching from the gallery may gasp at a 300-yard drive, but it
is not solely strength and power that define the sport. Choosing the right
club, adjusting the club face a fraction of an inch and shortening the swing
a hair, can make the difference between a birdie and a bogey. And to some,
that is all the difference in the world.
Mastering these strategies with their refined skills and knowledge of
the game is not one, but two, of the University of Tennessee’s golfers.
Sophomore Derrick Centers and junior Kevin Law have just returned from the
Southeastern Conference Championships where they tied for an impressive
11th place in a 60-man field, driving their team to a fourth place overall
finish. Both golfers ended the tournament at one-under par, with Centers
shooting a career-best 67 and Law firing a career-best 69.
“It was a good way to go out,” said Centers of his last tournament
of the season. “It all came together at the right time.”
But it was more than timing that led these athletes to the top. Those
who have ventured outside the realm of Porky’s Pitch and Putt know that
golf is a difficult, often frustrating game. With so many fundamentals to
remember, just keeping your eye on the ball may be a scary thought. But
not for Centers and Law, who remain calm and focused during their display
of mental and physical strength.
“The key to playing well is not to think about anything at all,”
Law said.
Being students of the game gives these players confidence and experience
that enables them to keep a clear head. Both Law and Centers were introduced
to golf by their fathers at an early age and have developed a deep-rooted
love for the links. This passion for the game is translated in their diligent
and determined play. To them it is an indescribable relationship; waking
up every morning just wanting to play. Every shot, every hole and every
course offers them a new challenge.
“Each time you go out, you experience something you didn’t the day
before,” Centers said.
It is that variation that keeps the players learning and improving their
game. But neither denies the fact that while it is fun, it can be a frustrating
game.
“The times you get frustrated are the times you are learning,”
Centers said. “If you can make a few good shots a day, you will come
back.”
But with perfection lurking behind every sand trap it is easy to become
discouraged with a less-than-Tiger Woods performance. Golf, however, is
not about beating yourself up to make the impossible shot or sink the 20-foot
putt.
“You are there to beat the golf course,” Centers said.
Mistakes are inevitable and they are expected, even by the pros. It becomes
a game of who can make the least mistakes and who can score.
“One bad shot can ruin an otherwise great round,” Law said.
“But it makes you want to come back the next day. Even when you play
great, you can always improve.”
The image of golf has been rapidly shifting from one of old white men
hacking around the fairway in their knickers to one of young kids with Nike
contracts. But the deep-rooted tradition remains despite the rising popularity
of the sport. Golf is the perfect combination of strategy, skill and pleasure.
It is Centers’ and Law’s love for this game and respect for the fundamentals,
that keeps them tearing through the fairways and setting the pace for the
UT golf team. With the 1998 season behind them, Centers and Law continue
to hit the links and apply their talent, skill and love as they battle with
the great game of golf.
Copyright © 1998, The Daily Beacon. All rights reserved.
