Golfers Refreshed and Ready to Build off Successes

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The design of a collegiate golf season is split.

There's some heavy lifting in the fall. The same in the spring, only with the added importance of seeking postseason experience. In the middle, there's a gap, up to three months for some team.

The gap is rather important on its own. It has to be filled productively, with a built in anticipation of return to competition. At Colorado State, the way the fall portion played out left both the men's and women's rosters with a bit of excitement about coming back.

For Andrea Bergsdottir, her return will be extended a bit more than she originally anticipated when her senior season began. Now, her final collegiate spring won't take place until 2024 as she's informed coach Laura Cilek she'll take advantage of a super senior season.

The reason was simple.

"Our atmosphere is so good, and I love being with the girls and seeing how ambitious they are now, seeing how much they practice," she said. "I saw development from one year ago and how much we improved, and that made me realize if I can do this one more year and be with these girls and be competing at hopefully a higher level like regionals, I want to do that. Since I can do that and at the same time get into a master's program, that's great.

"Laura told me she's trying to build up a team and develop a program. I see how hard she's working, and now that I feel we have a good assistant who has done a lot for the team, I want to see that one more year, where we can go."

The team feeling is nowhere but up after finishing the fall on the high of winning the Rainbow Wahine Invitational, even if was back on Oct. 26.

The men, who exited the fall ranked No. 21 by Golfstat, 23^rd by Golfweek, are very much residing in the same mind space. But it just doesn't happen because the first three months went well. It can if the gap is productive.

They all had the time

They definitely had the time, with the women opening up with a match-play format against Washington State on Jan. 23 in Phoenix, Ariz., before the first tournament of the spring on Feb. 6 at the FAU Paradise Invitational. The men get going on Feb. 20, attending The Prestige in La Quinta, Calif.

For Gavin Hagstrom, attacking the break was a must. Cracking the lineup regularly is the goal, which he has done once this season. The competition to make the travel cut from week to week is fierce, especially one which features perennial producers such as Connor Jones and Davis Bryant.

There are eight players on roster. Six of them have posted a top-5 finish in a tournament this year.

"There's no worse feeling in the world than having to sit home and watch the leaderboard on your phone instead of actually being able to contribute," Hagstrom said. "There's no bigger motivator than that. I just want to contribute."

The gap is different for each player. They all have varied goals to hone in their game, and even if it's the same, the pattern is tailored individually.

The team uses a stats program, so the directives are crystal clear for each of them. Hagstrom looked at his numbers and went to work. On everything.

With the weather in Colorado always a roll of the dice, he spent a few weeks in Arizona living with his brother and utilizing the slew of courses in the area and the sunshine to be outside. He played a few rounds but designed a plan which allowed him to work on some fundamentals, spending some extra time on the putting green. Each time he did individual work, he programed in the competitive techniques first-year coach Michael Wilson has brought to the team.

"There are certain drills I do that mimic on-course putting. Such as I have to make a certain amount of putts from X amount of tees before I can leave," Hagstrom said. "It gets frustrating, but that's exactly how it is on the course. I have a putting mirror and I work on mechanics and set up and get that sorted out the first 15 minutes, then I go into the randomized drills. I do a clock drill with four tees from five feet all around the hole, and I have to make 16 out of 20 before I can stop."

Like most of his teammates, he made sure to put his skills to the test in tournament play. The outing came with a boost to his confidence as he tied for third at the Saguaro Amateur with three rounds under par.

Not everybody has the same luxury, leading to being creative in their work. Such as Bergsdottir, who spent her break back home in Sweden.

Getting outside wasn't really an option. It was cold, but worse yet, it rained the entire time. Golf courses around her were basically underwater. It forced her to do one thing which was necessary, and that was to step away for a spell.

"I think it's really good to take a few weeks off, because we really compete the whole year, even during the summer. You take some time to recharge and then you go out and reflect on what you need to improve for the final two months you have," she said. "Either you work with coach here or someone at home, but you find a way to improve the aspect of the game you need to improve.

"I like the break. Usually, I need to work on something, like my irons. I can do that alone during that part without thinking about having to score, too. It's a good time to improve all the aspects you've seen you need to be better at."

Which she wants to do with somebody she trusts. Here, it would be with Cilek or new assistant Brady Campbell, who she credits greatly with part of her reason to return for an extra season. At home, the task falls to her longtime swing coach and her brother, Aron, who plays professionally back home.

It required some nuance with outdoor work not readily available. It required access to a simulator and a facility which allowed her to hit from indoors to outdoors. When she does work, it always includes improving her iron play, particularly her distance with a wedge.

While the time away was good, she couldn't wait to get back. She stayed in constant contact with her teammates, which wasn't always easy considering they were spread across the globe. When she wished Lacey Uchida a Happy New Year, she was 12 hours early to the part for the Hawaii product.

She also can't wait to get back to work, because with Campbell on board to help Cilek reach her vision of consistently competitive program, she wants nothing more than to help see the plan through.

"Laura told me she's trying to build up a team and develop a program. I see how hard she's working, and now that I feel we have a good assistant who has done a lot for the team, I want to see that one more year, where we can go," Bergsdottir said. "It's really exciting. Not only competing but going on trips with them and everything off the course is so much fun too. I really want to hang on to that one more year."

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