For Kevin McLister, It's All About Focus and Patience
“Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half inch course,” renowned golf champion Bobby Jones once said, “the space between your ears.” So it's no surprise that in the mind of Loudoun County golf sensation Kevin McLister, mental toughness is something that every good player of the game needs to have.
The 2005 Dulles District golf champion also believes that patience and knowledge of the game are two more tools for success on the links. Kevin has been using these attributes to his advantage this season, scoring a big victory at the Cheers Sports Tournament, which was played at Lansdowne Resort on August 15th. Shortly after McLister shot a lights-out 70, four strokes ahead of his nearest opponent, it was announced that he will be attending the University of Delaware in 2007 on a golf scholarship.
McLister was introduced to golf ten years ago by his father, Mike, but due to a full plate of other sports such as baseball, basketball, and football, did not start getting serious about the game until a few years later.
“I began playing at local courses such as Loudoun Golf and Country Club in Purcellville and Westpark Golf Club {in Leesburg}. Then I started to get lessons from {head pro} Dave Newsom at River Creek, and I haven't left him; he's awesome.” Kevin still credits his dad's efforts, though, as the foundation for his game. “He's basically the reason why I am the player you see today.”
Kevin's fatherly advice only took him so far before realizing that he needed to practice golf seven days a week to excel at it. “This game is probably the hardest to play ever,” McLister says. “It takes countless hours of practice every day in order to be a good golfer. You have to get the experience and knowledge down that are needed in the long run. Plus, it's all about learning more about the game outside of just hitting balls by reading magazines, watching tour players, and talking to people who know it inside and out.”
Golf is an ever-changing form of torture. Different courses have different challenges, and weather always plays a big part during a round. Sometimes your game can be your best friend. Other days, your worst nightmare. McLister keeps a sense of stability in his approach to the game with a simple pre-match schedule. “In preparation for matches, usually it's just a good night's sleep and a good breakfast in your stomach.” When asked about any superstitions he has, McLister responds, “I'm not very superstitious, except for a few minor things.” Like the three tees and 1969 quarter he keeps in his right pocket and the pencil he puts in his left. “I try to mark my ball on the green with the quarter facing heads up for good luck.”
McLister's good fortune isn't limited to the golf course. He is also the starting point guard for the Raiders basketball squad. On and off the court and course, he recognizes that there are not only the pressures of winning, but of being a good role model and team leader. “There are tons of pressures for golf but there are also those associated with being captain and a starter in basketball, such as teaching the younger ones. I try to conduct myself the best I can and pass down to them the knowledge that I've gained over the years.”
Sometimes all Kevin needs to take his mind of the pressures of his hectic life is to, well, play some more golf. And to do that, he doesn't need to go far. When telling the legend of the green in his backyard, McLister chuckles and says, “The putting green is great because I have a bunch of things that I can work on right outside my back door. I have a sand bunker when I need it, rough to chip around on, and the green to putt on. It helps a lot with the short game and with rolling the birdies in.”
Speaking of birdies, McLister recounts one of the funniest things he has ever seen on the course. “One time I saw a goose get hit in the head with a golf ball and it started to have a seizure. It ran around in circles for about 30 seconds and then just dropped. All the other geese circled around it like it was having a funeral of some sort. Probably shouldn't be funny, but it was hilarious.”
Yet nothing is comical about Kevin's goals for this season. Three things that he wants to accomplish in 2006 are to be first in every match, finish with an under-par average, and defend his district title. “The team goal is to win districts again, move onto regionals, and hopefully states,” McLister says. He is looking to fellow County standouts senior Andrew Dyer and junior Adam Petersen to help him lead the way.
Loudoun County's coach John Laycock sums up McLister's will to succeed perfectly. “He's determined. He sets goals for himself and pushes himself to the limit each time he plays. He's continued to work hard, play hard, challenge himself, and he has done all the little things to get him in the best form possible. Kevin's just got that desire to achieve.”
The late, great Bobby Jones could have been talking about McLister when he said, “We keep it coming. We never give up. The way we play is to always play hard.”
