University of Minnesota Athletics
Flanagan, Jones Hope to Build Off Success
9/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Story by Gopher Athletic Communications Student Assistant Ellen Larson
On Sept. 24, Angus Flanagan and Peter Jones led the Golden Gophers to a sixth place finish at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, each notching top-10 finishes. With a team finish of 8 over par, it was a group effort. But for Flanagan and Jones, the approach was very different.
"In past tournaments, I haven't had the best finishes," Jones said. "I really wanted to go in there with a positive attitude and just play the best I could, whether that was playing smart or just being aggressive when I needed to be."
Jones came in at 3 under par for the tournament after a 3-under 69 on the final day. He attributed his strong finish to his accuracy, after working on this part of his game in the preceding week.
"Going into the week, I focused a lot accuracy off the tee, since it was such a tight golf course," Jones said. "I've always enjoyed playing in Arizona, and one of my strengths is trying to be accurate off the tee early. I guess it kind of played into that, because it was such a narrow course off the tee."
The strategy worked for him. The junior's tie for sixth place was a career-best finish. He also spoke about working on his short game, and his ability to finish in potential birdie situations. Jones finished in a tie for first in the field with birdies, making 15 over 54 holes, as well as an eagle on the final day.
For Flanagan, the tournament was as much about avoiding negativity as it was about concentration.
"I tried to go in pretty open-minded," Flanagan said. "I always put myself under too much pressure, and most of the time it pays off. This tournament it did. I didn't think this course was going to suit my eye, and it didn't. But I was just playing pretty well, and everything just clicked."
Flanagan, a freshman, came fifth in his second collegiate tournament. A 3-under 69 on the final day contributed to his 5-under par finish. Flanagan attributed his good performance to assistant coach Justin Smith, who walked all 54 holes with him.
"Sometimes I try to take shots that I know I shouldn't be taking on, hence the reason Coach Smith walked around with me for 54 holes. That really helped me. I had a few decisions where he told me I shouldn't be taking shots like that. It paid off in the long run."
Jones and Flanagan will now turn their sights to the Alistair MacKenzie Invitational on Oct. 9. Until then, the focus for both players will be confidence.
"I want to keep building that confidence and really believe that I can compete up there," Flanagan said. "I'm just going to stick to what I'm doing at the moment and fine-tune everything."
"Going forward, I'm trying to roll with that positive momentum from the tournament," Jones said. "I need to be confident enough that I can play at that level with these guys, and just try to help the team out the best I can."
Players Mentioned
