267 Harding Globetrotters The men’s golf team included players from seven different countries: Guatemala, Spain, England, Sweden, Germany, Bulgaria and the United States. The diversity of the team brought unique opportunities to all parties involved. Travis Lauterbach, head men’s and women’s golf coach, said he enjoyed the energy the diversity brought. “That’s the nice thing, everyone has a certain enthusiasm for the game of golf – obviously if they’ve come this far they’re pretty serious about their game – and they’re going to bring a certain energy because they want to get better,” Lauterbach said. Junior Wilmer Haakansson, from Stockholm, Sweden, said as an individual and team member, he appreciated the atmosphere created by the dynamic environment. “Competition is arguably higher than ever in program history, but we stay humble and are happy for each other’s successes,” Haakansson said. “Just because most of us are from far away, the overall ambition and seriousness in the team is severe. You don’t move across land and ocean to go to school, especially not when the similar alternative back home is free of tuition, if you’re not serious about performing and making the most out of it.” The team’s dedication to perfecting their craft did not stop them from having fun times as well. Lauterbach said the different cultural backgrounds contributed to the team. They got to learn and have fun with one another. “It’s easy to have fun when we’re all from different places,” Haakansson said. “We can joke about what things are like back home, and people are usually baffled by something that’s different compared to what they are brought up with. We also tend to learn a few words here and there in someone else’s native tongue.” Bedford, England native, junior Finlay Cummings enjoyed experience life with his teammates. Having teammates from all over the word meant learning about different cultures. “It is fun and exciting to hear about the other guys on the team’s stories about where they play back home and what the courses are like there,” Cummings said. “I learn skills from my teammates, as we are always talking about the game together, and this really allows us to bounce ideas off each other and get better as a collective and not just individually. I feel this is enhanced by the global team we have.” The team started the season with several high-placing tournaments, the most notable of which was a runner-up finish at the Northeastern State University (NSU) classic Sept. 19, where they finished two strokes under NSU. The team continued to have a positive season. Their team dynamic and skills came from the fact they each grew up in different countries - they were a global team, with the same love for golf. Written by Emma Weber Разстояние | Hailing from Sofia, Bulgaria, sophomore Denis Staykov proudly poses with his countries flag. Staykov joined the golf team as a transfer from Arkansas State University. Photo by Jenna Gaessler Attention Getter | Following his time on the golf team at Harding, Max Faure became the men’s golf graduate assistant. Faure was originally from France. Photo by Jenna Gaessler “You don’t move across land and ocean to go to school... if you’re not serious about performing and making the most out of it.” - Wilmer Haakansson
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