Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles men’s golfer Nick Etherton said he has found that some of his best moments on the course come with his teammates just a few steps away.
“You’re on the road with these guys so much, you’re around them every day,” Etherton said. “There’s a lot of tournaments where we’ll start on the same hole, like me and Haden [Maxwell] will be right behind each other so it’s fun when he makes a putt or I make a putt and we turn around and like we’ll wave at each other or do something silly just to keep it light and keep it fun.”
That shared experience has helped shape Etherton’s enjoyment of the game. Etherton said seeing teammates succeed in the same moment adds another layer of energy during competition.
Etherton said the biggest difference in his game now compared to earlier in his college career is his mindset.
“Freshman and sophomore year, I used to get a little more stressed out about tournaments,” Etherton said. “Now you still want to go play, you still want to go do your best, but you’re not really as worried about it. You just got to trust that your game is good and the results will take care of themselves.”
That growth has translated into a more steady, composed approach on the course. Etherton said learning how to stay locked in without overreacting to outside factors has been key to his development.
“I think every tournament you adjust a little bit just based on how you’re playing that week,” Etherton said. “When you see what the field’s doing, if the course is playing harder than you thought it was going to, if the course is playing easier than you thought it was going to going in, I think you adjust strategy wise but at the same time you got to stay in your lane and play your game also.”
With a stronger mental approach and a tighter bond with his teammates, Etherton has continued to grow into his role for Tennessee Tech.
Now, he and the Golden Eagles are focused on extending their season as they compete in the Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Golf Championship, looking to turn that confidence and chemistry into postseason success.