Collin College Golf swung into action with a strong performance at the Dallas Christian 4 HIM Classic, Feb. 24-25. We caught up with Coach Cooper Schoolcraft after the tournament to talk about the teams' performances and the future of Collin College Golf.
How does it feel to start up the spring season?
We're ready to get rolling. The team has been working hard over the break, and we are excited to go out and compete this spring.
How did the team do in the Dallas Christian 4 HIM Classic?
We were able to start the spring season strong. Freshman Johnna Johanson won the women's individual championship by four shots after posting her lowest final-round score of the season. Freshman Am Thaithiang also made the women's All-Tournament team after finishing in fourth. Overall, the women's team placed second.
Sophomore Noel Bondesson fired a final round 65 (also his lowest round of the season) in order to secure second place in the men's division. Overall, the men's team finished in fourth.
Who were your top performers? What would you like to say about their performance?
Johnna did an exceptional job of managing the course this week. She was able to stick to her game plan and put herself in a position to score. She was able to control her misses, hit a lot of greens, and make a lot of key putts when it really mattered. Most importantly, she was able to stay composed when the pressure was on and bring home the individual title. I could not be more proud of her effort this week.
Noel put on a ball-striking and putting clinic in the final round. He was able to string together five birdies in a six-hole stretch, which was good enough to take him from six shots back to one back. He lipped a 54-foot birdie putt that had ten feet of break on his last hole and then made the two-foot par putt to finish in sole second. It was fun to watch him step up with that much pressure and cap off an incredible round.
How is the overall team chemistry and performance at this point in the season?
Both teams are really starting to gel. They've been working hard for the past several months, and I'm excited to see where that hard work takes them this spring. We're in a better spot now than when we started, and we're showing continual improvement each week. As a coach, that's all I can ask for.
Which tournaments are you looking forward to?
This time of year, we're only looking at the next tournament. For us, that next tournament will be at Dornick Hills in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Over the next nine weeks, we have a chance to play six great tournaments on some really solid courses against some of the best teams in the country. We're excited for the challenge and the chance to compete against the best.