Growing with the elements

IC Photo File

RJ Hearons

The city of Toledo is no stranger to brutal, cold winters. The annual gray skies and stony winds that engulf the glass city from late November until early April keeping just about everybody inside.

But for senior Chris Selfridge, and the rest of the University of Toledo men’s golf team, the cold rain and snow bring out their best stuff.

“The weather in Toledo really has helped my game overall,” Selfridge said. “I’m mentally tougher because of it.”

With golf season for collegiate athletes stretching from September all the way through the end of April, Rocket golfers get a taste of every season and the course conditions that ensue.

“We beat up our players,” said Head Coach Jamie Broce. “Its 45 degrees out there with 10 mph winds, the weather alone makes it hard on our players.”

But nobody has seemed to benefit more than Selfridge, who’s picked up MAC Player of the Week honors on five separate occasions, and it’s no mistake.

“It should really be more,” Broce said. “He’s one of the best ball strikers I’ve ever come across.”

The weather conditions in Toledo have helped Selfridge in preparing for the unpredictable variables that come about during competition — obstacles that golfers from other universities don’t see.

“Understanding how to play competitive golf, there are so many variables in competition that are different from practice,” Selfride said. “Some are so fortunate to always play in the sun but when the weather becomes worse they aren’t used to it.”

Over the course of the season, the Rocket men’s golf team has traveled to compete in places ranging from Naples, Florida to Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Places like LSU and Florida, it’s nothing like it is here,” Selfridge said. “Bad weather is normal in Toledo, if they came up here to play, they’d see what we practice in.”

So when it comes to favorite courses it’s no surprise Selfridge didn’t pick one in a warmer climate.

“The University of Purdue course is perfect,” he said. “The amount of challenge versus the reward for a good shot makes it an almost perfect course.”

Hailing from Castledawson, Northern Ireland, he is a top 100 amateur in the world and averages a team best 73.3 stroke per round in five tournament starts. The senior standout has shot par or better on six different instances which is a team high.

Selfridge hasn’t limited himself to only collegiate golf by competing in amateur competitions across the globe, which enables him to keep his game sharp.

Over the summer he successfully defended his title at the North of Ireland Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club as well as tying for tenth place at the 15th-annual World University Golf Championship.

Looking to turn professional after graduation, Selfridge isn’t fretting over the process, taking it in with a stride of confidence.

“It’s the same as any other sport, if you’re good enough you’ll get there,” he said.

But in terms of attributing his success, Selfridge was quick to point out that the fundamentals and weather conditions Toledo brings weren’t the only factors.

“Time management is what I’ve learned, being able to maximize your time,” Selfridge said. “My freshman year I was pretty bad at this, sophomore year I got better, junior year I was good at it and this year I’m great at managing my time.”

Broce has no doubt Selfridge is going to succeed wherever he goes, and fully believes he has a shot at the pros.

“When he qualified for regionals individually we got to spend time with each other,” Broce said. “He’s got a big heart and cares a great deal about the city of Toledo.”

Selfridge is going to approach the pro tour and any other challenges down the road the same way he’s approached the game of golf while at the University of Toledo.

“You can’t over think everything; you just have to roll with what you’ve got,” Selfridge said. “Rain or shine.”