UCF Men's Golf sophomore Jordan Sarhaddi took some time to reflect on this past season, talk about where he expects the squad to be this upcoming season and more. Check out his full Q+A below!
What was special about your first season at UCF?
My first season at UCF was such a cool experience. The amount of work and dedication that we put in was equally matched by our coaches, trainers, advisors and nutritionists. I love how dedicated the university is to all of its teams and you can really feel the support that athletes get throughout the campus. We have so many tools and resources at our disposal that, as long as we're willing to put the work in, there's no reason why we can't excel both athletically and academically.
What was it like to win it all at the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational last season?
Tavistock was one of the greatest weeks of my life. Going into the event, we knew the team hadn't had too much success in the past, but we knew this year was going to be different. Everyone on the team switched into that extra gear of focus and determination, and you could see how bad we wanted to prove ourselves. We made a tremendous effort to come together as one unit by having team meetings and listening to the great advice that Coach Wallor and Coach Donegan gave us. Winning as a team was extremely special to be a part of, and Johnny Travale winning the individual title made it that much more special. We never really let up on our focus or determination until that final putt dropped in the final round. We had family, friends, staff and people from throughout the community supporting us all week, and we wanted to give them something to cheer for.
What's something that not many people may know about the team but you think they should?
I think the main thing that people may not know is just how hard each one of us works. As student-athletes representing UCF, we take pride in both our athletic and academic performance. We have morning practice for thee to four hours, six days a week, we then go to class five days a week in the afternoons, and most days we come back to practice for a few more hours in the evening. We love what we do and we know how great of an opportunity playing high level college golf is, but that definitely cuts into our free time. Our offseason really only runs from November through the middle of January and summer break, but even then, we still practice and work on our games. We find time to relax and have fun, but it definitely comes fewer and further apart than most college students.
What are you looking forward to most in year two?
I'm really looking forward to coming back to school and learning a lot from last year. I can improve my practice, my preparation for tournaments, my sleep schedule, really anything that I didn't do well enough in my first year. It's also easier now that I've had a year to get used to the campus, my schedule and how to manage my time. Seeing the team again and building off our successes last year will also be fun. Our team is young, but we learned a lot last year, and we're determined to be more consistent with our play this year.
What do you think are some important characteristics someone who wants to play golf at the collegiate level should possess?
I think the most important thing is understanding how to play in pressure situations. A lot of kids will be able to play great golf when nobody is watching, but they collapse when a college coach comes to watch them. I think this comes from the player putting unnecessary pressure on themselves and getting out of their own groove. They must learn how to channel their nerves and play their own game because nothing has changed about the course or conditions, so your play shouldn't have to change. If a coach is watching you, there's no need to try to impress them, they must already be impressed if they have come to see you. The second thing is attitude. I think this may be the number one thing coaches look at when assessing junior golfers. The way they react to bad shots, bad breaks, and tough conditions tells coaches a lot about their character. Coaches want players that are resilient and determined, because that builds team chemistry and character as well. You don't necessarily need to be happy all the time, you just have to always be willing to fight for all 18 holes, because every decision you make in college golf not only affects you, but the whole team.