HUMBOLDT – A Humboldt Cub has bypassed the cub stage and has quickly become a tiger on the golf course.
He’s already placed in the top 10 in over 20 summer tournaments. He’s captured first in over a dozen meets.
Oh yeah, Connor Newman is still eligible for Diaper Dandy status as he’s just a freshman.
“Most freshmen would not be as good as he is,” teammate and junior Layne Ellison said. “And it’s truly impressive where he’s at, especially because he only started playing golf at 11 or 12.”
“Yeah I’m not sure, but he certainly is,” sophomore Thatcher Mueller said of Newman’s success. “It’s a lot of fun to watch him play and enjoy every minute of it. Alongside him I have high hopes for a successful and fun season.”
Newman said he’s been blessed with his top-10 finishes in which he’s shot 1-under 71 on three occasions.
“I’ve always enjoyed the progress of my three years but really making a note to myself that in any sport being really good is never going to come right away,” Newman said. “So really just going out there and trying to get one percent better is my goal everyday. I have never really looked over my accomplishments too much because I try to keep my head down and stay in the moment. But man it feels good to see what has all happened and what more is to come.”
He hopes what is to come is more victories.
“You know getting to about 15 tee is usually when the nerves start to hit you,” Newman said. “In every tournament I have won I have had over a two-stroke lead in all my wins. But I mean there’s a ton of nerves and adrenaline that comes with that. I feel really good about how, in those tournaments, I handled myself and went on to win them, but the feeling when you walk off 18 green and that winning feeling that hits you it’s like no other.”
To get that winning feeling requires hours upon hours on the course.
“Just going through the mechanics and making sure of anything I am staying at the skill I was before the year ended,” Newman said on what he focused on during the offseason. “Or if anything improving instead of moving backwards, a lot of putting practice was done though.”
Which has made Newman a formidable foe with putting a strength.
“I would like to say it is a big part of my game and something I try and practice a lot with,” Newman said. “I was really hot with it this spring where I saw a lot of success and picked up two wins. It’s been a little cold since, but I can feel it starting to get good for the spring year.”
Newman enters the spring season as the No. 1 golfer for the Cubs.
“Yes it’s a big role, but I am very happy to take it on and just try and be a role model for all my teammates and support in whatever they need,” Newman said. “We have a lot of good team chemistry this year and I am really happy to see what happens.”
His interest in birdies and eagles was spurned by his dad, who played at Hutchinson Community College.
