Diary

Timothy
Hamm

Past Entries

May 4, 2005

I have officially procrastinated long enough. We got back from the UAA championships in beautiful Batavia, N.Y. and were confronted with the possibility of not going to nationals.

Lebow kept asking me "If the team doesn't make it do you think I still have a chance of going?" He was getting a little paranoid and a bit annoying. I am sure that the team itself was much more annoying to him over the season because we were all extraordinarily mediocre by our standards.

A second-place finish at UAAs should have knocked us out of the NCAAs, but we were able to sneak in. Hopefully Keith and I can make up for our non-potential reaching careers with a solid performance at nationals.

Keith was asked to rank every individual on the team for a project that Tristan was doing. He made two columns. One column was based on talent and the other was based on performance. We were both at the top for talent and down towards the bottom for performance. Sad, but true.

Our New York trip was wonderful. We got to see Niagara Falls in 30-degree weather. We woke up to play our first round with snow coming down hard and sideways due to the massive winds. What a glorious day to play golf. That is why I went to school in the South.

This is a plea to the people who run the UAA golf championships: please hold them someplace with a reasonable climate. Every year there is a 50/50 chance of horrendous weather. It's fun and all, but it's time for a change.

This is probably my last diary entry because my time at Emory is nearing an end. Every team that is going to nationals is practicing right now, but the good ole Emory team has finals all the up to the day before we leave. I am taking all of my finals before the exam periods even start (talk about fun).

It is all worth it though to get to go to nationals again. Nationals last year was one of the best experiences of my life and I couldn't imagine missing out on them my senior year. It is the best run tournament of the year and the most enjoyable. I have played in a lot of college golf tournaments, but nationals trumps them all.

I am going to end my last journal entry with a challenge to the Emory golf program. I challenge everyone to step it up, whether you are No. 1 or No. 10 on the team. Everyone needs to work harder and expect more from themselves.

It starts with with hard work and hopefully ends with solid performances. I wish that I was pushed a little bit more by my teammates and I wish that I pushed myself a little bit more.

The one thing that I will look back on in my four years on the team is the experience of the team doing well at nationals last year. There is no more satisfying feeling than seeing yourself and your team competing to win a national championship. Hard work paid off last year and hopefully it will in the future for this program.

I will miss playing and competing with everyone on this team especially Brohan, Mr. Harker. I expect a lot from you in the future. You have all the game to be the best ever at Emory and nothing would make me happier than to see you break all the records. I want to see your name on the GolfStat Cup.

I hope that this program can improve from a national top-10 program to a national championship contender.

Timothy Hamm is a senior from Niskayuna, N.Y. He would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.