Cassie Psuik has been playing golf since she was 5 — a love that has continued into her collegiate career.
Cassie Psuik has been playing golf since she was 5 — a love that has continued into her collegiate career.
When Cassie Psuik was entering high school, she was quick to realize that there was no girls golf team. Psuik had been playing golf for almost all her life up to this point, so she wasn’t going to let not having a team shrink her love for the game.
Psuik was first introduced to golf by her dad when she was about 5 years old. She said her dad is a big golfer himself and got her into tournaments when she was 7. While her dad never pressured her to play, she developed a love for the game that continues to grow.
Because Greenfield High School, where Psuik attended, lacked a girls golf team, she played on the boy’s team for a year. While on the team, Psuik became the first girl to qualify for the boys state tournament since 2014.
When Psuik was playing individually rather than on a team, she said her ability didn’t change, and she utilized her skills by playing in individual tournaments during the summer.
“Golf is such an individual sport,” Psuik said. “So I don’t think being on a team really played a huge aspect on it.”
A draw to these tournaments came not only from being able to play the game, but the fact that these tournaments are the main source of recruitment for college, according to Psuik.
As Psuik was looking at her future both in education and in golf, she said she was surprised by what Loyola had to offer. The features of Loyola’s two campuses appealed to Psuik as a business major, adding it’s something she really enjoyed about the Loyola experience.
“I wasn’t expecting it to have such a campus vibe to it but then you also get the vibe of being downtown,” Psuik said.
A hardworking attitude and willingness to get better every day are qualities head coach Brandy Johnston pointed out that Psuik possesses and brings to Loyola’s team.
Since being at Loyola, Psuik has adjusted to being on a team and learning the role of being a teammate, which she said the upperclassmen on the team have helped her with. She said the difference between collegiate and high school golf has been a bit strange, but she has gotten used to the flow now. The way college girls play is another big change that Psuik noticed at the collegiate level.
One aspect of the game Psuik has been working on for almost as long as she has been playing is the mental side. She said this has been a challenge for her over the years, especially when she was younger.
As she has gotten older, Psuik said she has learned from others that staying present in the game is extremely important. Psuik said she has honed in on her mental game by not thinking ahead between shots and being present with every shot.
“I’ve definitely had my challenges on the course,” Psuik said. “Getting too far ahead of yourself has shown in my game that too much anxiety leads to too many bad things.”
Johnston noted she has seen the most improvement in Psuik over the season, especially in the mental aspect of the game. She said Psuik has been working on managing the mental side of her game over the season and has seen some gains.
“I think she has really worked hard on not being so hard on herself while she is playing and kind of staying patient.” Johnston said. “Just letting the game come to her instead of getting really down on herself when things go wrong.”
As a first-year, Psuik has played in every tournament this season. Psuik said she’s very grateful to be playing and for the experience she has had since joining the team.
“I think I have matured a ton since playing as an individual,” Psuik said. “And I think that is really going to excel my career in the summer and then for becoming an upperclassman.”
Johnston said Psuik’s scores put her in the tournament but what really keeps her there is her willingness to listen, learn, try new things, consider things differently and her overall hard work. Johnston has seen improvement not only on the course as a player but also off the course as a person.
“I have seen her grow a lot both as a person and a player.” Johnston said. “I feel like in the work that she puts in every single day both in practice and on her own will set an example for our new players coming into the program moving forward.”
Psuik and her team look onto the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship in Orlando, Florida April 19-21. They are using the weeks before to prepare and get their minds in the right place. Psuik said she is optimistic about the ability of the team at the tournament and said they have a chance to win the conference title.
“It’s going to be hot in Florida, but I think we can totally pull it off,” Psuik said.
Psuik said the thing she will have on the front of her mind as she plays in the championships is her team.
“When I go out there and play, it’s not just about me,” Psuik said. “You play for everybody on the team and it’s a lot bigger than yourself.”
Featured Image courtesy of Texas State University Athletics
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