Prep Succeeds In Spring Tourneys

With the golf season quickly approaching and the large piles of snow finally starting to melt, prep Daulet Tuleubayev was determined to train hard over spring break in preparation for the first golf matches. Over break, Tuleubayev participated in two different tournaments hosted by the Future Collegians World Tour, a well-respected non-profit organization that conducts junior golf tournaments across the United States from September through May.

Both tournaments lasted two days and included a range of students from the class of 2014 to class of 2019, making Tuleubayev one of the youngest participants in each. Despite the tough competition and notorious difficulty, he played exceptionally well in both, placing first in one and second in the other.

“It takes a lot of skill to be able to go from not practicing much over the course of a term to winning an important tournament against daily golfers.”

Less than a week into break, Tuleubayev began his endeavour with the Hollywood Beach tournament. He immediately faced the challenge of adjusting from indoor practice mats to real grass, and struggled a bit the first day. However, it didn’t take Tuleubayev long to correct his mistakes. The second day he recovered with a score of 68, the lowest round of the tournament, and captured the first place spot.

His success carried over to his next tournament at Feather Sound Country Club in Florida where he placed second, missing out on the top spot by only a few strokes. According to lower Charlie Dubiel, Tuleubayev’s transition back into competitive golf was impressively quick and difficult to accomplish. He noted that Tuleubayev’s performance over break showed his great mental strength and focus.

“It takes a lot of skill to be able to go from not practicing much over the course of a term to winning an important tournament against daily golfers,” Dubiel said. “It was very impressive that he was able to control himself so well and transition back into playing golf competitively in such a short amount of time.”

However, while multiple blizzards limited Tuleubayev’s practice time over winter term, he said it was a well needed rest that re-energized him for his upcoming matches. After his long pause from tournaments, Tuleubayev felt eager to be back on a course, a “drive which helped [him] make shots and play holes better than normally.”

Senior Paul Lei believes Tuleubayev will bring this strong motivation into the season to spur both himself and his teammates. He expects Tuleubayev’s passion will help him grow a lot and develop into an even better player and teammate.

“His enthusiasm in workouts is great because it motivates other people to work their hardest,” Lei said. “He treats his workouts with a clinical dedication. During every workout, he never skips or slacks on a rep.”

As long as Tuleubayev continues his intense focus, the season should become a great success for him. Tuleubayev has been looking forward to playing his first Exeter golf match for a while. After his recent wins over break he will come into this first match with a stronger sense of confidence.

“Over break I proved to myself that I can do well, even with a lack of actual tournament practice,” he said. “If I keep working hard and managing my time well here, I believe I can perform just as well as if I had the opportunity to practice golf all day long.”