231 GOLF DUSTIN’ OFF THE CLUBS Coach Dustin Howell found a new way for golf players to compete. In fall 2020, men’s and women’s golf coach Dustin Howell created an intrasquad golf tournament for players to practice during the postponed of the season. The golf players were seeded through random selection to play one another in a tournament, allowing them to compete despite the cancellation of matches. “The goal of the tournament is to give Harding’s players an exciting competition to participate in, since intercollegiate competition is not allowed at this time,” Assistant Athletic Director Scott Goode said. Howell said he always wanted to conduct an intrasquad match- play tournament, and now that he had extra time, the opportunity presented itself. “I have strived to foster an atmosphere of team engagement and competition,” Howell said. “All athletes have an internal drive to compete, and I want to stoke that fire to keep it burning and ready for the spring semester.” Senior Jacob Hefley enjoyed the competition. He said it was challenging to accept the postponement of the season; however, it encouraged him to continue to work hard for the upcoming spring season. The match-play format, which was when a player earned a point for each hole they bested their opponents, offered players the opportunity to practice their normal habits and prepare for future competitions. Hefley was glad to be back in the competitive atmosphere. “It’s always great to compete, whether it is in an intrasquad competition or tournament,” Hefley said. “We have other competitions planned throughout the semester, and I am looking forward to competing in all of them.” story by Kaitlyn Francois Alumnus Gregor MacIntosh follows through with his swing on Sept. 29, 2019 in Owensboro, Kentucky. The Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational was one of the last golf compeitions held before the outbreak of COVID-19. | photo by Dustin Howell
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