The Miami University men's golf team will travel to West Lafayette, Ind. for the Boilermaker Invitational this weekend following a last-place finish at the Hawkeye Invitational last week.
After a poor showing, the RedHawks settled back into their usual practice schedule this week to try to get back on track. Head Coach Zac Zedrick said though last tournament's outcome was not what the team had hoped for, they were not going to do anything out of the ordinary to prepare for the trip to Purdue, calling the last few days, "business as usual."
"I had a good meeting with the travel team and I think the difference is there's a little more resolve," Zedrick said. "They're excited to go play. They're a little hungry after what happened last week; they want to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Continuing the theme from earlier this week, Zedrick has been emphasizing a better short game and a strong mental toughness for each of his players, regardless of what kind of numbers they are putting up.
"The last thing I want them to do is play timidly," Zedrick said. "I want them to play intelligent and play to their strengths. You've got to play fiercely; the game's a lot more fun like that. You've got to play like the score won't get posted."
After finishing the Hawkeye Invitational tied for 39 at 10-over par, junior Brett Tomfohrde has taken this week's advice to heart. Playing his game will be his primary goal at Purdue.
"I think this weekend I'm going to focus on not caring much about the score," Tomfohrde said. "I think a couple of us got too wrapped up about the score and I'm guilty as any of them ... It's important for all of us to be present in the moment."
Junior Ben Peacock is taking a similar approach, choosing to play in the moment and keep a positive attitude.
"I can't wait, it's going to be a blast," Peacock said. "The attitude is really going to be more fearless, to commit to what we're doing and just go for it."
When asked what one word would be to describe the type of game he's aiming to play this weekend, Peacock laughed and said "good," after which he added that strong focus would be his best chance at playing three solid rounds. He said he is, "just going to commit to every single shot."
As Miami begins its final few weeks of play, Zedrick believes the team is getting to where they need to be. Entering their last tournament before the MAC Championship, the RedHawks are primed to place well in their upcoming event.
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"We're going to go out and compete like each day is the last day to play," Zedrick said. "The main focus for us is to keep doing what we're doing."
Zedrick said the team needed to play like they belonged there. Play opens Saturday at the Boilermaker Invitational.
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