For the first time since Trampas Wilson has been at Mansfield, the Tigers golf coach switched up his team’s off-season workouts.
Normally, Wilson said the team used November, December and January to focus primarily on lifting weights and running.That didn’t leave time for Mansfield to work on its short game. Wilson said that needed to change. He switched up the team’s workouts and gave the team one hour to do nothing put practice the short game.Wilson’s team responded. Mansfield started its spring season by making history. The Tigers golf team won the Aggie Cup in College Station in January, the first time in school history.“The kids bought in, they were there every day,” Wilson said. “The team camaraderie got better. The work that we put in was how we played.“The practice habits they showed in the off season showed that they’re hungry. That said a lot for us.”Senior Andre Garcia won the tournament and two other Tigers finished in the top 10. Wilson was impressed with Garcia’s performance.“Normally January is not when you’re playing your best golf,” Wilson said. “It ranks up there with one of the best. Considering the competition, it was pretty darn good.”In the fall season, Mansfield started out similarly. The Tigers won their first tournament only to hit a lull in their next few outings.Wilson doesn’t want that to happen again and he thinks his team has learned its lesson. He said it’s a lot easier when he has five seniors to lean on.“When you win the first tournament, you feel like you’ve arrived,” Wilson said. “In golf, you never arrive. You always work hard.“This is the first time I’ve ever had five seniors on a team. They know they’re going to hear nothing but hard work and team work and short game of the next few months. I’m gonna preach the same thing everyday.”Wilson said those five seniors make his job a lot easier.“It’s on cruise control for me,” he said with a laugh. “They’re doing it all on the course.”Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
