Freshman Gavin Dines was named Heart of America Men’s Golfer of the Week for his outstanding performance in his first collegiate golf tournament at the Virginia McCoy Invite on Oct. 16, 2023.
Dines shot 73 (+1) in the first round of competition and 69 (-1) in the final round of competition to earn his first-place position on the podium.
One thing that Dines was trying to focus on was staying level-headed. Not trying to do too much and keep the process “super simple” through the whole tournament. Dines knew coming into this tournament that the competition was going to be a little more elevated than the high school tournament that he competed for at Olathe Northwest.
“It’s obviously much better golfers but I try and keep it the same mentality. I know there are other guys who are just as good as me, but I try and just stick to my game and I know I have a team behind me to help if I struggle,” Dines said.
Dines looks up to two people when trying to see how he can improve his game. One being his grandfather who is also the sole reason for getting him into golf. His grandfather was able to attend the tournament given that it was nearby.
“Just seeing him and talking to him between holes helps me keep a happy mindset and knowing that I have someone who is rooting for me the whole round is a great feeling too,” Dines said.
With a great start to his collegiate career, we hope to see many accomplishments and achievements throughout his time here at Baker. Both Baker golf teams compete next at the Conference Preview on Oct. 30-31 in Moravia, Iowa at The Preserve at Lake Rathbun.
