By Keith Brake
Montezuma Magazine editor
Montezuma’s boys golf team and coaches returned from the Class 1A state tournament feeling it was an event they could have won, but that it was fun and memorable nevertheless.
The Braves finished fourth out of 10 qualifying teams in the meet that concluded on Tuesday, May 22 at Ames Golf and Country Club.
Co-coaches Liesl Roorda and Randy Masterson conferred to answer some questions I asked about the experience. Instead of writing both coaches’ names, I’ll use Roorda’s during this piece.
“It was very exciting,” Roorda said. “We didn’t play our best and to be right there still, was great. The teams were so tightly bunched that it made for an exciting tournament.”
Did the Braves have any particular plan of attack for Day One?
“We tried to focus on the mental game,” Roorda said. “This has been a major focus all year and it became obvious when some of our holes were not going as we wanted that we needed to refocus mentally and battle through.”
“We stressed the importance of enjoying the experience, having fun, and not letting the emotions take over,” the coach said.
On Day Two, all six Montezuma players beat their Monday scores. The Braves started the day down by two strokes as a team, but saw three teams shoot well enough to put themselves out of Montezuma’s reach.
Still, the focus was mental.
“We knew we could score better and we did,” Roorda said. “We still didn’t have our best rounds, especially on the front nine holes. We feel we could have won if we had,” she said.
In golf, you can’t physically play defense. So, is it possible to get inside the heads of your opponents?
“The best way to get into the heads of opponents is to play consistently and hit good shots,” Roorda said. “The hard part is to not get into your own head when things aren’t going the best.”
So, the Braves came back to Earth having explored new ground. What’s more, they kept themselves grounded and in contention for quite a while.
“We had a great season,” Roorda said. “The state tournament was such a fun experience and was extra special, being the first Braves golf team to accomplish this,” she said.
“The parents and the rest of the community were wonderful all year in supporting us,” Roorda said, “and we are thankful for it all!”