Kent State of Mind: Jordan Gilkison - Just Me and the Course
5/17/2023 12:58:00 PM | Men's Golf
Throughout my life, I've always tried my best to avoid comparing myself to others. In the age of social media, it's not an easy task.
Having two older brothers makes it that much more difficult, especially considering they're both golfers like me.
Even during competitions, I don't like comparing my performance or scores to my opponents.
What I love most about golf is that the course is my main opponent.
Always.
If I can conquer the course, regardless of how others around me are playing, I'm going to be successful.
In my second season golfing for Kent State, focusing on myself and what I can control is something I continue to take with me, both on and off the course.
An unexpected teammate
A big reason I enrolled at Kent State was because of Coach Mills.
My older brother Josh golfed at Kent State, so I was able to establish a relationship with him pretty early on.
Not only is Kent State his alma mater, too, but he's also one of the best golfers in the history of the program. I knew having the chance to be under his tutelage would make me a better golfer in every way imaginable.
Based on the relationship and communication I had with him and the rest of the staff, committing to Kent State was a fairly easy decision for me.
After I did, I was in for quite the surprise when I learned that my older brother Josh would be using his Covid year and returning for his fifth season.
I never thought Josh and I would be teammates in a million years, but the stars aligned during the 21-22 season for my freshman year.
I knew it was going to be a special one, and I can say without question that it did not disappoint.
A season to remember
Having Josh here during my first year was so beneficial. Anytime I had questions regarding the team, city, or campus, he was there to show me the ropes.
Getting to travel with him all season and play in tournaments together was an experience I'll never forget. Having my parents watch us play at almost every tournament made it that much more meaningful.
As the season went on, we played well as a team. From an individual standpoint, I started to string together some strong tournaments in the spring and find my groove.
One of my goals heading into the season was to win the MAC Freshman of the Year award and the conference title as a team.
Not only did I pick up Freshman of the Year honors, but we also ended up winning the MAC. To accomplish both goals I set out to achieve in my first year was such a gratifying feeling.
It got even better when Josh capped off his final season by winning the individual MAC Championship. Having a front-row seat to watch him win the ultimate prize in the conference was an amazing end to a season I'll never forget.
There were plenty of challenges along the way, but all the success I achieved motivated me to elevate my game even further for my sophomore season.
Avoiding the sophomore slump
I wouldn't necessarily say there was added pressure going into this season, but I had much higher expectations than my freshman year.
I played well over the summer months in individual tournaments, too, so I looked forward to carrying that over into the fall and spring seasons.
With Josh no longer being my teammate, you could say I lost my safety net a bit, as I couldn't necessarily rely on him like I did last year to figure things out on and off the course.
But I also knew I had the support of my teammates and coaches, who have never once hesitated to give me the help and guidance I need.
After such a successful freshman season, the last thing I wanted to do was regress and have a sophomore slump.
Continuing with the right mindset
I have several goals I want to accomplish before I graduate and try to make it to the professional level.
Playing collegiate golf is always more fun when you have success as a team, so winning our conference is a goal we strive for every year.
Also, we will do everything we can to qualify for the NCAA tournament — it just would be an incredible experience to be a part of.
From an individual standpoint, I'd love to become an All-American before my time at Kent State comes to an end, so that's always in the back of my mind as I look to improve my game.
Progress in golf is unique in that it's difficult to control your shot. Ideally, you'd like to land every ball on the fairway, but that's not how the sport is designed.
There are always going to be awful shots that land in the rough, but how I respond to getting out of the rough is what matters.
When I'm going through a bad stretch in life, or if I'm having a tough time on the course, the temptation is always there to compare myself to others and envy the success they're able to achieve.
But that's counterproductive.
A mindset I'll take with me for the rest of my life is that it's not about comparing my accomplishments and failures to others.
It's about me and the course, just like it's always been.
And like it always will be.
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