Zen and the art of course management
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| Bekki Prokup of St. Bede Academy is the 2009 All-BCR Golfer of the Year. She had a 45.6 9-hole average, fourth place finish at regional with a round of 90 at Spring Creek to lead Lady Bruins to sectionals and season low rounds of 44. |
PERU— For St. Bede senior Bekki Prokup, the girls’ 2009 BCR Golfer of the Year, the path to golf enlightenment wound through the deserts of Arizona.
It was there, on a pilgrimage to golf camp at Arizona State University this summer, where Prokup learned some tips on improving not only the physical aspects of her game, but the mental side as well.
“They really helped me with techniques to improve my mental game,” Prokup said.
Bolstered with her new mental meditation techniques, like carrying a card that reminded her of her favorite song and imagining herself in her favorite place, Prokup said she was able to keep things positive on the course this year, more so than in the past.
“I felt like in the years previous that if I had one bad hole, I would have two or three,” Prokup said. “This year if I had one bad hole, it would just be one. I wouldn’t carry it on to my next hole because I would think about all the things I was taught.”
Learning to move past errors and tough breaks proved crucial to Prokup’s success.
“It’s very important, because if you’re mad, you’re going to keep having bad shots; it’s just going to make your round worse” Prokup said.
Prokup put her new Zen-like approach to good use this year, finishing on top of all area golfers with a nine-hole average of 45.6.
St. Bede coach Rich Cummings said Prokup was a changed golfer.
“She didn’t let things bother her as much as before. A bad hole would be bad hole, and she wouldn’t let it snowball,” Cummings said.
Prokup was the county’s top finisher, coming in fourth with a 90 at the 1A St. Bede Regional at Spring Creek, helping lead her Lady Bruins to earn the third and final sectional qualifying spot.
She said advancing as a team to sectionals was the highlight of her senior campaign.
“I went as a freshman (to sectionals) and to finish off my senior season with going as a team meant a lot,” Prokup said.
Prokup and her sister, Barbi, a freshman golfer for the Lady Bruins, played the regional meet with heavy hearts, mourning the loss of their grandfather, Bill Prokup, who passed away just before regionals.
“It was really hard, but it was motivation for the day,” Prokup said. “He had a favorite song, “Mony Mony,” ... I listened to it before I teed off.”
“It was my motivation that day that whatever I did, it was for him,” Prokup said.
Prokup said she used her mental training to help pull her out of a rough patch at regionals.
“My back (nine) I started to struggle a bit at the end, so I pulled it out (the card) and went through it,” Prokup said. “I ended up doing a lot better.”
Along with improving her mental approach to the game of golf, Prokup said she shored up physical aspects of her game as well through practice and camp at Arizona State.
“I felt like my driving and long game improved a lot from the past,” Prokup said.
Cummings agreed, saying that Prokup’s mechanics were more sound, and she was more consistent on the course this season.
Now that her prep golfing career is completed, Prokup would like to continue on playing in the collegiate ranks. She said she has talked to a few college coaches and is in the process of deciding on a school.
“It would mean a lot to me,” said Prokup of the chance to golf at the next level. “I’d love to keep playing golf because I love the sport so much.”
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