April 22, 2008

Corvallis, OR (UWIRE) -- The lack of recognition the Oregon State U. men's golf team has received this year may bother some people inside the program, but junior Alex Williams doesn't seem to mind. "It will come," he said with a gleam in his eye. "Just wait and see."

Williams and the Beavers are quietly finishing up one of the best years in school history. They jumped off to a red hot start, winning two out of their first four tournaments, and have steadily been racking up points while solidifying their position as a lock to make it to NCAA Regionals for the second straight year.

The Beavers finished up the regular season with an eighth place finish out of 17 teams last weekend at Stanford, and now set their sights on the Pac-10 Championships in Fairfax, Calif. starting Monday, April 28.

Williams' steady play has been instrumental in the Beavers' success both on and off the course. Williams is co-captain with senior Vincent Johnson, who is another experienced and talented player. Coupled with the strong play of senior James Allenby, the team seems prime from another run deep into post season play.

Williams, who is the No. 3 ranked player on the team, got his start in golf as a youngster growing up in Washington state. Originally from Silverdale, his family moved to Vancouver when he was 9 and that's where, Williams said, he got hooked on the sport. It was also when he began to find that he had a natural knack for the game.

"At first I thought golf was just something my dad did... but when you find out you're good at something, you start to enjoy it," he said.

Williams' athletic ability wasn't just confined to the golf course.

Growing up, he was a multi sport athlete, playing soccer, basketball and baseball in addition to golf. Once he reached high school, however, his skill and his passion for golf began to take precedence.

He began garnering success as early as his freshman year. He was a three-time all-region selection and a four-time all great St. Helens first team pick, and his personal achievement culminated in a Regional Player of the Year award in his final year. His team also enjoyed success, winning three league and three district titles. By his senior year, he began drawing attention from schools all over the Northwest.

That's when he got in contact with OSU coach Brian Watts, who made Williams feel right at home in Corvallis. "I could have gone to a different school and not traveled, or gone somewhere in a lower division," he said, "but ultimately I found OSU a perfect fit. I wanted to go somewhere I felt wanted. I feel a part of something here."

Williams and the rest of the team are looking for redemption and a shot to get back to the NCAA tournament. Last year, in a three way playoff for two spots, the team fell one stroke shy of making the cut and was left out of the championships. Williams said it has not only served as motivation for the team, but it has assured them that they have what it takes to get the job done.

"It showed us we deserved to be there," he said. "We're more prepared now than ever."

The team is already a lock to make regionals, which takes place May 15 in Bremerton, Wash. If they perform well there, Williams said this would turn out to be one of the best seasons OSU in golf history.

Williams adds that although they have enjoyed success and have been far more consistent this year than in the past, they still haven't had a tournament where they put all the pieces together. This was none more evident than last weekend's tournament in Stanford where they failed to place any individual in the top 15.

"If we play well, we're right up there with anybody," he said. "We still haven't played to our potential."

Williams hopes to change that with the help of Jerry Lynch, the team's sports psychologist. Lynch began working with the team last fall and has made an immediate impact. According to Williams, Lynch has implemented eastern philosophies to harness the mental aspect of the game.

"He has us do all sorts of visualization and meditative techniques. He gets us to marinate our nervous system," he said with a laugh. "But it's what separates us from everyone else."

Williams notes the turbulent nature of the game itself and that at the Division-I level, the game is more mental than physical.

"You reach a level where it's not physical anymore," he said, "and it's more about trying to fight the mental demons. The reason you make the big shot in the big game is not technique. It's wanting the shot and thinking that you're going to make it."

"Jerry's been the difference this year," he added.

Williams is looking to take what he has learned from golf and apply it in life.

"Golf is a game of life," he said. "The stuff I've learned, I'll use in the real world. It's made me who I am."

Williams knows graduation is looming, but he isn't looking ahead just yet.

"A dream of mine is to play professionally, but we'll see if I have a great senior year first."

The Beavers will graduate four seniors this year, leaving Williams as the lone senior on a team chock full of freshmen and sophomores. He will be forced into a leadership role that has, in his words, "grown on [him]."

But with the most important tournaments of his career sitting on the horizon, Williams has been too busy focusing on finishing this year strong to even think about what's happening in the next.

The question on everyone's mind is: can they put it together?

We'll just have to wait and see.

(C) 2008 OSU Daily Barometer via UWIRE