South African golfer Gary Player once said, “We create our success or failure on the course, primarily by our thoughts.”
For Eastern Mennonite University senior Andrew Alderfer (Faber, Va./Nelson County), Player’s quote was inspiration in his final collegiate season.
Alderfer led the charge for the golf men at last week’s Lynchburg College Invitational, setting the tone with a 76 on Monday. It was his fourth sub-80 and lowest round of the year, just missing his career low round by two strokes. He added an 80 on Tuesday, finishing tied for 18th out of 69 golfers with a 156 (+12).
He said his success this season has come out of focusing on his mental strength, as well as improving the technicality of his game.
“The biggest thing I have done in order to prepare for this season besides playing golf is really working on my mental game,” Alderfer said. “Being able to control my emotions during the round has really helped.”
Coach Mike Yoder agreed that Alderfer’s ability to keep calm during the game and his natural competitive nature helped him to play his best game yet this season.
“Andrew has a very competitive spirit and has a way to motivate those around him,” said Yoder. “His biggest improvement has come with managing his on-course decision making. He has learned how to play in the moment, taking one shot at a time.”
However, this season for Yoder hasn’t been without its share of challenges, the biggest of which so far has been Virginia’s ever-changing weather.
“We have played in everything from snow, sleet, and rain, and not only does that make it difficult to play in during tournaments but it has really affected the times we have had to practice this season,” he said.
The team had slightly better weather this past week in Williamsburg, and even though the Royals didn’t do as well in the tournament as he had hoped, Alderfer is confident that they will be able to up their game by the ODAC Tournament on April 22-24.
“I was extremely happy to see the breakthrough that Riley had on the first day shooting an 82,” he said. “That just shows me that the team does have the potential to produce but we need to strive for consistency over the next couple weeks before we head off to the ODAC Tournament. I personally finished tied for 11th out of I think around 90 players. By the end of the season I hope that I play well all three days at ODACs, but most of all I am hoping to win the sportsmanship award for the ODAC.”
One memory he will never forget was playing a tournament in Stafford County, where he “was holing out for eagle at Augustine Golf Club and catching numerous dubs in Fortnite at the hotel.”
As the only senior on the team, Alderfer has the most experience playing competitive college golf and strives to lead by example. He said that being on EMU’s team and being able to lead his team through the season has been an unforgettable experience.
“Playing golf at EMU has been a blessing in many different ways, including meeting a variety of different students and coaches from all over Virginia and other surrounding states,” he said. “Also, being able to form unbreakable relationships with a numerous amount of my teammates that I am sure will last a lifetime.”