Written by Emma Weber \/\/ Graphic by Ben Evans <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Harding golf team will represent seven different countries during the 2023-24 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The men\u2019s team includes players from Guatemala, Spain, England, Sweden, Germany, Bulgaria and the United States. Travis Lauterbach, head men\u2019s and women\u2019s golf coach, said he enjoys the energy this diversity brings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the nice thing, everyone has a certain enthusiasm for the game of golf \u2013 obviously if they\u2019ve come this far they\u2019re pretty serious about their game \u2013 and they\u2019re going to bring a certain energy because they want to get better,\u201d Lauterbach said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Junior Wilmer Haakansson is from Stockholm, Sweden, and said as an individual and team member, he has appreciated the atmosphere created by the dynamic environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCompetition is arguably higher than ever in program history, but we stay humble and are happy for each other’s successes,\u201d Haakansson said. \u201cJust because most of us are from far away, the overall ambition and seriousness in the team is severe. You don\u2019t move across land and ocean to go to school, especially not when the similar alternative back home is free of tuition, if you\u2019re not serious about performing and making the most out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team\u2019s dedication to perfecting their craft does not stop them from having fun times as well. Lauterbach said the different cultural backgrounds contribute to the team learning from and having fun with one another, a sentiment shared by Haakansson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy to have fun when we\u2019re all from different places,\u201d Haakansson said. \u201cWe can joke about what things are like back home, and people are usually baffled by something that\u2019s different compared to what they are brought up with. We also tend to learn a few words here and there in someone else\u2019s native tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Junior Finlay Cummings is from Bedford, England, and said his experience with the team is a positive one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is fun and exciting to hear about the other guys on the team\u2019s stories about where they play back home and what the courses are like there,\u201d Cummings said. \u201cI learn skills from my teammates, as we are always talking about the game together, and this really allows us to bounce ideas off each other and get better as a collective and not just individually. I feel this is enhanced by the global team we have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team started the season with several high-placing tournaments, the most notable of which was a runner-up finish at the Northeastern State University (NSU) classic Sept. 19, where they finished two strokes under NSU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team\u2019s next tournament, the NCAA Preview, starts Oct. 16 at Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harding will conclude their fall season the following weekend at the DBU Classic hosted by Dallas Baptist University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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