Northmont High School grad Nick Scott is leading all golfers in the Horizon League in scoring average years after his father introduced him to golf when he was 2 years old.
It was his father’s knowledge of the game that led Scott to stay driven.
“He taught me growing up how to play golf, and I think I was pretty gifted in golf as well. I had a talent and ran with it,” Scott said.
Scott started to gain tournament experience when he was 10 years old. His first tournament was against former WSU golfer Rick Denny, who was two years older.
“He hit the ball about 150 yards farther than me. I still had only five clubs in my bag. It was pretty mind-boggling,” Scott said.
At age 12, Scott joined the Plantations Junior Golf Tour, and won a string of tournaments his second year on tour, which piqued his interest in reaching higher levels of golf.
“That is when I decided I really wanted to play for the rest of my life,” Scott said.
Scott played three years at Kent State before deciding to transfer to play closer to home. Already being acquainted with Wright State head golf coach Peter Samborsky from playing in past tournaments, Scott decided that home was WSU.
With golf being a heavily mental sport, keeping calm when the ball lands in a hazard is key, according to Scott.
“Not everyone is going to hit a perfect shot on every single hole they play. You just have to accept that nobody is going to be perfect that day,” Scott said.
“There is a phrase, ‘Golf is not about not getting perfect shots; it’s a game of perfect misses. You want your misses to be playable,” Samborsky said. “If you know that and understand that, then you can recover from them and try to make pars and birdies.”
Being a newcomer can lead to personality clashes, but that hasn’t been an issue for Scott, Samborsky said.
“That has allowed everyone to stay loose and positive. When you spend six or seven hours in a van with six or seven guys, if people are not getting along it gets tense, and that doesn’t allow good play,” Samborsky said.
In addition to solid putting, Scott gains an advantage over other players in the field with his ball striking ability, according to Samborsky.
“That allows him to play a long course shorter than most people. He has got a wedge in his hand when others are hitting 8, 7 or 6 irons into the greens, which allows him to be a little more accurate,” Samborsky said.
The combination of Scott’s ball striking ability combined with his putting strength has paid off because he leads the Horizon League in average scoring. Carding an even-par 213 earned Scott an individual win at the Wright State Intercollegiate at Miami Valley Golf Club, which led to Scott being named Horizon League Player of the Week.
“I was kind of mad I didn’t get it the week before. I was texting Pete, and he told me to just go out, win the tournament and beat everybody,” Scott said.
Though Scott feels he and the team still have room for improvement, he is confident in reaching a higher ceiling of success.
“Our team is a lot better than what I think everyone gives us credit for. Our top four guys can shoot a couple under par if we need to,” Scott said. “I think we have a really good shot at winning conference this year, which would give us an NCAA regionals berth.”
