Talented Chesterton senior Kristin McCoy’s progress brings her to a place where she finds a way to enjoy her golf rounds without overreacting to substandard shots and days

Talented Chesterton senior Kristin McCoy’s progress brings her to a place where she finds a way to enjoy rounds on good days and bad

Chesterton senior Kristin McCoy holds her fifth-place ribbon earned Wednesday at the Lake Central Invitational played at Palmira.

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com
A top-of-the-lineup talent since the first day of her freshman season on the Chesterton girls golf team, senior Kristin McCoy shared her thoughts on how she has become better equipped mentally and emotionally during her time with the Trojans.
“I don’t think people should be playing unless they’re having fun, even on your bad days,” McCoy said after signing her second 39-41 80 scorecard in two days to open the season. “I think I’ve learned that over all four years, that no matter what I shoot, I just have to have fun. If I’m crying at the end of my round, it’s not why am I doing it, but why am I so upset about it? It’s just for fun.”
No matter the course, McCoy isn’t happy with her score unless it’s in the 70s, but not being happy with the final score doesn’t mean she’s sad during and after the journey.
“If I’m having fun, I play better,” she said. “I’m in a better mood. It helps to figure that out. It’s not like you can change the last shot. So why worry about it?”
Everyone knows that’s the right approach, but it’s easier to know it than to execute it. As with pointers on the mechanics of her sweet swing that generates so much clubhead speed and her ever-improving approach shots, McCoy hasn’t had to look outside her house to find ways to grow stronger through applying non-technical pieces of wisdom passed her way. She has an advantage over most players in absorbing golf knowledge around the dinner table of Ryan and Jill McCoy’s home.
Kristin’s sister, Katelyn, a three-time team MVP at Chesterton, plays for the Valparaiso University golf team that Jill coaches.
Kristin said her improvement at keeping the focus on the moment came from “a lot of family conversations with my parents and sister. Stop being so worried about it. I’m not doing it for anyone else. I am doing it for myself, rather than trying to impress anyone.”
Another sound piece of advice. Trying to meet others’ expectations adds to stress and a tense golfer is a golfer who lacks the flexibility to swing the club smoothly. On the greens, tension shrinks the size of the cup and makes the hands heavier, shakier.
The Trojans opened the season Tuesday at the Plymouth Invitational played at Pretty Lake, where they finished second to Warsaw, edged by one stroke.
McCoy would have liked for the Trojans to win the tournament but if they had to finish second she could not have thought of a better coach to edge them out.
Warsaw first-year coach Kelsey Eichenauer played for Jill McCoy at Valpo U and Kristin came to know her well and said she considers her a close friend.
Aside from McCoy’s 80, Taylor Kisic had the Trojans’ best score at Pretty Lake, an 86, followed by the 91s posted by Genevieve Driscoll and Liz Dodds.
The team didn’t fare as well in the Lake Central Invitational on Wednesday at Palmira, fading at the end of the round.
But McCoy’s second round of the season was better than her first because Palmira is a tougher, tighter course than Pretty Lake.
Still, McCoy knows she could have played better.
“I left a lot out there,” she said, matter-of-factly and without a stressful expression. “I could have done a lot better. I feel like I’ve got more in me.”
Nevertheless, she birdied two holes.
The first came on par-3 No. 7, the second hole she played. She dropped her tee shot within 6 feet of the pin and drained the putt. Her second birdie came on No. 10, a par-4. Her drive was long and straight. Her approach shot stopped 10 feet from the cup and she made the birdie putt.
McCoy broke down how she played during her second round of the season: “I would say my long irons were good. My pitch shots were a lot better. I’m trying to get more consistent from 40 to 100 yards in, getting those close so I can make one-putts. The greens and pins were really hard today, so my putting wasn’t too bad. I definitely could work on it but I’m not upset with my putting.”
Precision is required off the tee on many Palmira holes, which can lead golfers to try too hard.
“My driver, I was kind of steering it, just because Palmira, you have to know where you’re going to place it,” McCoy said. “You can’t just hit it out there and hope that it’s good. It’s a pretty hard course.”
Sandy Pines in Demotte is no walk in the park either, but it’s a beautiful walk, just one reason Kristin so enjoys playing there. Memories going way back put her in a good mood every time she steps on the grounds.
Back when Jill, director of instruction at Sand Creek, ran Northwest Indiana Junior Golf Association tournaments, some of the same teenagers she hired to babysit Kristin, then about 7 or 8 years old, would work the events and Kristin tagged along with them. One of them would take Kristin into the tunnels, where they would scream as loudly as they could.
Screaming isn’t on her agenda Monday at the Kankakee Valley Invitational, unless that is, she aces one of the four par-3 holes. That requires luck, but it’s funny how skillful golfers seem to get luckier than hacks. McCoy has the skill part down far better than most high school golfers.