Lourdes’ top four relying on mental toughness as they chase spot in state golf meet

Jun. 1—Jeff True knows what to expect when he approaches Alex Olson on the golf course during a meet.

True, Rochester Lourdes’ second-year boys golf head coach knows Olson will greet him with a smile. But True has no idea if that smile means the even-keeled Olson has just made a birdie or a bogey.

“First and foremost, he never gets too high or too low,” True said of Olson’s mental toughness. “He’s confident in his abilities. If he shoots a bogey or a double-bogey, there’s usually going to be a string of pars that come after it.

“If he gets in trouble, he approaches it as ‘that’s just one hole.’ He’ll shake it off knowing he has 14 or 15 more holes to go.”

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Olson, just a sophomore, has locked himself in as one of Lourdes’ top four golfers this season, along with juniors Will Pederson and Thomas Benner, and eighth-grader Colton Rich. That foursome has been consistently strong this spring, and the Eagles know they’ll have to be at their very best this week if they want to win the Section One, Class AA championship.

The 36-hole section meet runs today and Wednesday at The Bridges in Winona. Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa is the heavy favorite to win the team title, but Lourdes could have any of its top four players in contention to earn individual berth(s) to the state meet, which is scheduled for June 15-16 at The Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan.

“You have to try to think of it as just another meet, but the pressure is there,” said Olson, who earned All-Hiawatha Valley League honors at least week’s conference meet. “There’s definitely more pressure than just a regular season meet. This one really matters.

“It’s hard to (block out the pressure), that’s for sure. You just try not to think about it, try to think about your next shot, just go out and have as much fun as you can. You have to really focus on your game and whatever works best for you.”

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While Pederson and Benner are the Eagles’ captains and veterans, youngsters Olson and Rich have solidified Lourdes’ team scores this season.

Rich has only been playing golf for about two years; his dad asked him to play on Father’s Day a couple years ago and Colton was a natural. He’s one of the two longest hitters in the Eagles’ lineup. His varsity career got off to a bit of a shaky start, he said, when he hit his very first shot of his very first meet out of bounds.

It’s been uphill since, and his score has counted for Lourdes in nearly every meet this season.

“You just have to take deep breaths in between each shot and think about what to do next,” Rich said. “If I hit a bad shot, I have to put it behind me. The older guys have been really helpful with that. They’ve taught me a lot.”

True said the Eagles will rely heavily on those older guys, Pederson and Benner, for leadership this week.

“They’ve been a steady, consistent presence all year long,” True said. “They can articulate to their teammates what they need to do from a course management standpoint on the courses we play. They’re just very calming voices and really good kids.

“They’re incredibly dedicated to the sport, too.”

They also share Olson’s mental toughness, something the Eagles know they’ll need plenty of this week as they navigate a challenging, quirky golf course in pursuit of a berth in the state meet.

“I think the main thing is trying to stay calm on the course,” Olson said. “You can’t let your emotions get to you. That will make everything go bad.

“Bad shots will happen no matter who you are. Even the pros hit bad shots. It’s just, how do you come back from them? … It’s about not letting (a bad shot) get to you. Anything is possible in golf, so just try to make the best of it.”