Will Sukow, with a 36, leads Sayville to another golf victory
Sayville's Will Sukow shot an even-par 36 at Timber Point to lead a victory over East Islip. Credit: George A. Faella
The Sayville boys golf team continues to roll.
The Golden Flashes won their 72nd consecutive league match on Wednesday, defeating East Islip 8.5-0.5 at Timber Point Golf Course on Wednesday to improve to 6-0 in Suffolk V.
Will Sukow tied a season-low score, shooting an even-par 36 on the front nine to earn a point for the Golden Flashes. Eric Foster halved his match with Dominick Sturtz of East Islip and Sayville swept the remaining matches.
Often reliant on star talent and experience throughout its six years of dominance, this year’s Sayville team is young and inexperienced, yet undeniably capable.
“We have five players that can consistently shoot around 40,” said coach Sean McLaughlin. “Every match is a balancing act.”
Sayville has no juniors, two sophomores, three freshman and one seventh grader. The two seniors, Sukow and Foster, are tasked with leadership roles after being bumped up from the 5th and 6th spot last season.
“The streak is really important to us and it energizes us,” said Sukow. “It starts in practice each day and it carries into the matches.”
With golf the mental game it is, it comes as no surprise that McLaughlin takes a psychological approach to his coaching strategy. And on a team carrying a win streak that is half as old as some of its players, emotions are bound to run to play a role.
“It’s all about working the mental game, handling the pressure and then managing the game,” said McLaughlin. “You can be upset with a shot, but by the time you’re ready for the next shot you need to be over it, or you’ll end up with a double bogey.”
Each week McLaughlin works on a different mental piece. This week, it’s “Target Golf”— emphasizing intense focus on the smallest possible target, without worrying about swing mechanics.
Wednesday, as they have done consistently over the last six seasons, Sayville hit the mark.
