Sophomore Marc Youngentob has helped the golf team to a national ranking this season. Drue Sokol, Photo Editor.
The golf team has rounded into elite form over the past few weeks. Team champions of both the Mid-Atlantic Invitational on April 4 and this past weekend’s Kravetz Invitational, the ‘Jackets have claimed the nation’s No. 25 ranking. Sophomore Marc Youngentob has played no small part in the team’s success, leading the team with a third place finish at the Kravetz Invitational and tying for seventh at the Mid-Atlantic Invitational as UR’s No. 2 man.
Do you have any pre-game superstitions?
I always mark my ball on the putting green with either a quarter (tail side up) or a piece of foreign currency like a sheckel or canadian dollar.
This past tournament’s conditions were less than ideal to say the least. How did you adjust your game to this challenge?
When the weather is as brutal as it was, your mentality has to change significantly. It becomes very important to stay in the present and not worry about hitting bad shots, because it is bound to happen. Making a bogey is no longer the end of the world.
Your team has thrived this season on its consistency. What do you attribute to this strength?
Our team has thrived because of our mentality and our focus. I’ve noticed that more than any other team we compete against, we try to have fun and just stick to our own plan. Whether that means little competitions during practice, or sending words of encouragement during tournaments, it really allows us to stay loose and focused when the pressure is on.
As a newly nationally-ranked team, do you feel any greater pressure to succeed?
I think the pressure is actually off now. Before this Spring season, we knew how good we could be and how much potential we had, we just were not living up to our potential. These past couple of tournaments have showed that we can compete with and beat any of the top teams in the region or country. As long as we can keep up the same focus and determination, there is no reason we can’t move higher up in the rankings.
Do you follow professional golf?
I follow pro golf avidly. We play against a lot of good players, but it is amazing to see these pros that are just on an entire different level. I love watching Tiger Woods as well as some of the younger pros. (Some of them) are not much older than I am and they are competing against the world’s best.
Bernstein is a member of
the class of 2014.
