Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

College Corner In September, Gibson ŽƉĞŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ ϯϲͲŚŽůĞ͕ ƚǁŽͲĚĂǇ /ƌŝƐŚ ,ŝůůƐ /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶĂů ŚŽƐƚĞĚ by Adrian College with a ƐĐŚŽŽůͲƌĞĐŽƌĚ͕ ϭϭͲƵŶĚĞƌͲƉĂƌ 61 at Grande Golf Club in Jackson. He had 10 birdies, six pars and one eagle. In October, Gibson repeated as Michigan Intercollegiate ƚŚůĞƟĐ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ƐĞĂƐŽŶ ŵĞĚĂůŝƐƚ ďǇ ĂǀĞƌĂŐŝŶŐ Ă ƐĐŚŽŽůͲ record 71.6 strokes over 90 ŚŽůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉůĂǇ Ăƚ ĮǀĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ͘ Gibson said he has been determined to take everything in stride. “I just see it as the results for all the hard work I’ve put ŝŶ͘ /ƚ ĚĞĮŶŝƚĞůǇ ŝƐ ĨƵŶ͕͟ 'ŝďƐŽŶ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞WĂƌƚ ŽĨ ŚŝƐ ƐĞƫŶŐ ŝƚ ĂƐ Ă new standard for myself. I may never shoot a 61 ever again. If I set who I am in some of those achievements, I may end up disappointed in myself.” An electrical engineering student at Hope College, Gibson likes to study how things work. Last summer, Gibson read several sports psychology books to help improve his mental approach to golf. “The consensus of every single sports psychologist is not to focus on results. It’s staying in the moment and focus on the shot at hand,” Gibson said. “If you get caught up thinking about a 61, that would start to bring in nerves.” Gibson returns to ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶ ŝŶ Ɖƌŝů ǁŚĞŶ Hope resumes play following ƚŚĞ ǁĞĂƚŚĞƌͲŵĂŶĚĂƚĞĚ ďƌĞĂŬ from golf in Michigan. dŚĞ &ůǇŝŶŐ ƵƚĐŚŵĞŶ ŚĂǀĞ ƋƵĂůŝĨŝĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ D/ ͛Ɛ E Division III Championship ƋƵĂůŝĨŝĞƌ ĂŶĚ ǁŝůů ŚŽƐƚ Ăƚ their course at Wuskowhan Players Club in West Olive ƚŚĞ ĨŝƌƐƚ ŽĨ ƚŚƌĞĞ ϭϴͲŚŽůĞ ƌŽƵŶĚƐ͘ ZĞŐƵůĂƌͲƐĞĂƐŽŶ champion Calvin College will hold the final two rounds at Watermark Country Club in Grand Rapids. The top cumulative score will advance to the May NCAA championships in Greensboro, N.C. ͞/͛ǀĞ ĞŶũŽǇĞĚ ŵǇ ƟŵĞ Žī͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ a good break and allows me to do some other things,” Gibson ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞'ŽŝŶŐ ƚŽ ŶĂƟŽŶĂůƐ ĂƐ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ďǇ ĨĂƌ͕ the most important thing. We want to get back there and be in the mix again. The ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ŶĂƟŽŶĂůƐ ŝƐ ĐŽŽů and everything, but I look way more at the team tournament.” Lokers isn’t surprised to see Gibson focused on his teammates. He has watched Gibson handle all the extra ĂƩĞŶƟŽŶ ŚĞ͛Ɛ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ƐŝŶĐĞ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ŶĂƟŽŶĂů championship without the success changing either him or his game. “I see a real commitment to our team. That has not changed,” Lokers said. “He works really hard – at everything. He loves to ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ͘ dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ŶŽƚ Ă ĐŚŽƌĞ for him. He’s stepped up as a leader, as a captain for our team. “He knows who he is. The stability and love provided by his family, and his faith, those have impacted him. dŚĞǇ ƌĞĂůůǇ ŵĂƩĞƌ͘ / ƚŚŝŶŬ he genuinely enjoys people ĂŶĚ ůŝĨĞ͘ dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ Ă ƉƌĞƩǇ ŐŽŽĚ ĐŽŵďŝŶĂƟŽŶ͘ ,ŝƐ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƟĞƐ ĂƌĞ in the right place.” Credit: Allen Tedder Photography