Senior men’s golfer Daniel Song said he almost considered quitting the sport multiple times before learning how to overcome the mental obstacles it presents.
After joining the team his freshman year, Song said he didn’t experience a full season until he was a junior. In his first year, he only played nine competitive rounds before being sidelined with an illness and his sophomore year was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Song said it was during his junior year that he was finally able to show off his skillset and hard work.
That year, Song finished fourth at the Patriot League Championship, was named to the first team All-Patriot League and the Patriot League Honor Roll.
Following the success in his junior season, Song was awarded the Patriot League Golfer of the Week for the week of Oct. 5. Song finished second overall at the Matthews Auto Intercollegiate Golf Invitational, scoring 140 (69-71), putting him at four under par.
Coach Henry D’Alberto said he wasn’t surprised by Song’s strong performance.
“Daniel (Song) is a great player with a great inner belief system,” D’Alberto said. “We are lucky.”
Song said his ability to excel on the golf course has partly been determined by his ability to overcome the mental aspect of the sport.
“Along the way there were many times where I felt like golf really wasn’t the sport for me and that I should just quit,” Song said. “You just have to be very patient, because one good round could totally change how I view the sport.”
Song said he has been able to see his progress each year, which has contributed to his confidence.
Junior Edmund Broderick said Song’s demeanor makes him a good teammate.
“His self confidence is a big driver in his performance,” Broderick said. “His state of mind is great for the game of golf, and the confidence coming off of last season has only grown and allowed him to perform well this year.”
Song said this mindset has allowed him to overcome a lot of the struggles he has faced in his career. He described the process as similar to taking a test — if you solely focus on acing the test rather than focusing on the actual material, you won’t learn as much.
Song said his main goals for the season are for the team to win the Patriot League Championship and make the regional tournament. He believes that if everyone puts in the work, it can be done.
“The most important thing that I’ve learned from the sport of golf is that you really need to focus on the process,” Song said. “It’s about how you want to get there, instead of putting all of your focus on the eventual outcome.”
The men’s golf team is preparing to host the Lehigh Invitational on Oct. 21 and 22.
Comment Policy
Comments posted to The Brown and White website are reviewed by a moderator before being approved. Incendiary speech or harassing language, including comments targeted at individuals, may be deemed unacceptable and not published. Spam and other soliciting will also be declined.
The Brown and White also reserves the right to refuse the publication of entirely anonymous comments.