In the first sentence of his profile page on the Oregon Web site, junior Derek Sipe is said to be “arguably the best golfer on the team.”
Arguable because after breaking the school record for a single round by shooting a 62 at the University of Hawaii-Hilo Intercollegiate in February, Sipe said he wouldn’t be surprised if anybody on the team beat that score.
Everybody’s that good, he said.
But Sipe owns the record for now, and he’s the one the Ducks will be counting on this Thursday as Oregon enters the NCAA West Regionals in Tempe, Ariz.
The question is, what type of performance will Sipe give the team? Will he replicate his record-breaking round, or will he stumble like he did the day after his historic performance and shoot a 74?
“He’s carried us all year long and where we are here because of him,” junior Zeke Reyna said. “Hopefully we can step up and help him.”
Regardless, Sipe learned an important lesson after the tournament in Hawaii. Now he understands how to handle his own expectations and disappointments.
“I’m in the lead in this tournament. It’s probably the best field (of players) we’ve faced all year and I got caught up in the moment,” Sipe said. “I approached it differently (the final day) because of the situation I was in. I put more pressure on myself to do well.”
Learning how to handle success isn’t something he’s experienced the two previous years. This season, the Ducks have won two of the tournaments they’ve attended, the Northwest Collegiate Classic in October and the Thunderbird Invitational last month in Tempe. Although Oregon coach Casey Martin challenged the team to win three tournaments this year, two victories matched the total of Oregon first-place finishes from the previous two seasons combined. Sipe didn’t participate in either tournament.
“I’ve never been a part of a win until this year,” Sipe said. “I guess we have a couple more chances at meeting Coach Casey’s goal.”
Sipe’s progression as a golfer has been a steady process since he arrived at Oregon. Not being the No. 1 guy in the field was something Sipe wasn’t accustomed to as a college freshman. He was rated as the ninth-best junior golfer by the National Junior Golf Scoreboard in high school, and suddenly he was outmatched by guys who were top players in high school as well and had several years’ experience at the Division-I level.
“I had a hard time adjusting as a freshman,” Sipe said. “You go to college and you feel like nothing. Your comfort level just isn’t there.”
But with each tournament, Sipe became more comfortable handling the various aspects of playing at the Div. I level. Handling success, particularly this season where Sipe has finished in the top 10 in a tournament four times, was a completely different story.
“It’s a lot different being in 30th place than it is being in first or second and trying to win a tournament,” Sipe said. “Now that I’ve been there a couple of times, I’m starting to become more comfortable with that.”
The biggest reason for his improvement is Sipe’s mental approach – although his physical skills improved slightly, it was not as much of a factor.
“I don’t think my golf swing has gotten way better, or I putt that much better,” Sipe said. “Mentally, I’ve changed a lot and that’s why my scores have dropped.”
Martin’s hands-on approach to coaching has helped Sipe realize that he doesn’t need to adjust his game if he’s playing well.
“I don’t have to change things because I’m doing well. I’m doing well because of what I’ve been doing,” Sipe said.
While Sipe said the team finished on a high note, it was an up-and-down season for the Ducks who placed eighth in the Pacific-10 Conference Championships and go into the Western Regionals as the 20th seed in a 27-team field. Although the team doesn’t need to have Sipe play at a record-setting pace to advance to Nationals – the top 10 teams advance – his performance will be one of the key factors to moving on to the next round.
“He’s the type of person that when he’s five, six, seven or eight under par, he’s just going to keep it going,” Reyna said.
It’s a good thing then, that Sipe isn’t satisfied with how he’s been playing all season despite the record and strong finishes.
“I still don’t think I’m playing what I’m totally capable of,” he said.
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In the swing of things
Daily Emerald
May 15, 2007
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