Turning a corner: Drew Golden’s new mentality for men’s golf

Drew Golden’s father played a huge role in introducing him to golf. Before he took it seriously, Golden and his father would play for fun together on the weekends.

Golden said his love for golf and playing with his dad shifted as he got older. He spent more time practicing and eventually started going to the driving range and playing on weekends with his dad if he wasn’t working.

He said he particularly remembers his first tournament, where he shot a 43 in a nine-hole event and finished second at just 10-years-old.

By high school, golf was his main focus.

This fall season for the Mountain Hawks, Golden helped lead Lehigh to five consecutive top-five finishes and won the Lehigh Invitational on Oct. 25.

He participated in the U.S. National Development program for Team Massachusetts and said he built meaningful connections while learning from experienced coaches. Those relationships helped prepare him for his collegiate golf career.

Golden already knew senior golfer Matthew Quinn through tournaments in Massachusetts, providing him with a connection to Lehigh before joining the team.

Quinn said once Golden arrived, he was able to help guide him with anything he needed.

“He would come to me a lot looking for advice on anything or when he had questions about classes or friends or anything,” Quinn said. “So being able to provide him guidance has been awesome for our relationship.”

Golden finished his first year with a 75.667 scoring average across 18 rounds and was on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. Quinn said these accolades and overall performance helped build his confidence on the course.

“Everyone knows that he’s a great player, and stepping into that this year, he’s playing with a ton of confidence now,” Quinn said.

Golden continues to compete and push teammates to grow as players. Heading into his sophomore season, he decided to take a different approach to the sport he once used to play just for fun.

He said putting pressure on himself wasn’t the right mentality. Golden said he wants to enjoy what he’s doing on the course, rather than letting bad opportunities control his play.

“I feel like I turned a corner mentally,” Golden said.

Having a change in his mindset helped Golden shoot 1-over-par at the Columbia Autumn Invitational, and he tied for Lehigh’s best score while leading the Mountain Hawks to place fifth out of 13 teams.

Fellow sophomore teammate Ryan Cronin said Golden has become more consistent in how he handles great performances and difficult stretches.

“Last year if something wasn’t going well or if something was going really well, he would get pretty high or pretty low on himself,” Cronin said. “Now he’s more even.”

Cronin said he sees Golden’s leadership during competitions.

Playing in the group behind Golden, he said he received encouragement while keeping things competitive.

Cronin said Golden comes up to him during tournaments and jokingly teases him.

“I just think that shows how much he cares about the rest of us instead of how he does,” Cronin said.

He said Golden also helps the team maintain a positive attitude. Cronin said his jokes become running references that teammates call out to each other on the course, allowing for a boost for the team, reinforcing Golden’s message to not take the play so seriously.

Golden said he’s continuing to bring the same attitude and perspective to each round he plays. He said after reflecting on his golf play over the summer, it helped him realize how much his mindset affected his performance.

The difference, Cronin said, is Golden can now pursue success without having the moment be overwhelming.

“He doesn’t put much pressure on himself,” Cronin said. “Obviously he’s very competitive, but it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t play how he wants.”