Cunningham?s Summer Looks to Propel Cats in ?15-16
08/31/2015 | Men's Golf
By Daniel Crespo
A majority of college students will tell you their summer plans include holding down a part-time job, taking a few online classes, and occasionally sleeping-in until 11:30 in the morning. For many undergrads, summer break is exactly that – a break, a time to let loose and forget the stresses of due dates and exams and replace them with a sense of ease and lethargy.
Rather than trading in the pressures of deadlines and homework for down time and relaxation, University of Arizona sophomore golfer George Cunningham spent this past summer fixated on leader boards and stroke counts.
Cunningham spent the majority of his summer traveling from state to state, taking part in almost a dozen golf tournaments with players on a variety of levels. Beginning in May, Cunningham participated in 10 different tournaments that took him everywhere from Tucson to Mesa, from Chicago to Memphis, and ultimately to Niagara Falls. Cunningham spent nearly nine straight weeks of his summer playing in tournaments and improving his already impressive game.
“It was a really fun summer,” Cunningham said. “I learned a lot, especially in the first four weeks. It was an unbelievable experience and I definitely learned a lot mentally and physically about my golf. I learned a lot from watching some of those high-end players – and I actually took a lot of what I learned and tried to help the team in our first team meeting.”
Playing in 10 tournaments in just as many weeks can take a toll on even some of the most experienced players. The Tucson native said that during the first few weeks of tournaments, he had to learn to pace himself and preserve energy for a summer that was going to require a lot out of him, especially competing at a high level.
The sophomore competed in the U.S. Open Local Qualifying in Tucson, The U.S. Open Regional Qualifiers in Memphis, Tenn., the Sunnehanna Amateur in Johnstown, Pa. and the North and South Amateur in Pinehurst, N.C. in consecutive weeks. Cunningham says he learned a lot about himself from those initial four events, not about reading a green or what club to use on the second shot of a short par five.
“I got a little burned out just because the first four tournaments were a lot,” said Cunningham. “And, I kind of didn't realize how hard it was going to be to play that many in a row. I learned to be a little smarter with how I use my mental and physical energy.”
Golf is one of those activities that no matter how well you perform, there is always room for improvement. Cunningham knows that as well as any athlete. Even though every tournament he participated in benefitted his mindset when competing against a top-tier player, his game itself is something that he constantly tweaks to perform at an even higher level.
This should come to no surprise to anyone who has followed the sport, or Cunningham's career. Only entering his sophomore year of college, Cunningham has already participated in numerous tournaments (collegiate and non-collegiate) and already displays the traits of a seasoned athlete.
As a freshman last year, Cunningham led the Arizona golf team with 14 total tournaments, a 71.60 stroke average, and 19 rounds shooting par or better. He also had six top-10 and nine top-20 finishes.
Cunningham's success on the course is something that head men's golf coach Jim Anderson has come to expect from Cunningham, and he knows that Cunningham has all of the tools and intangibles to reach higher peaks. Anderson still continues to be impressed with Cunningham's progression as a player, but is not surprised by it.
“I just know that George is always impressive,” Anderson said. “His game is complete – there are no gaps anywhere, there's no area where it's a deficiency. He shoots good scores and consequently his bad days aren't very bad and his good days are as good as anybody's. He has a chance to win almost every single week.”
Cunningham is still one of the younger players for Arizona, but his dominating play and calm demeanor have turned the well-spoken student-athlete into a leader for the Wildcats moving forward. It's a role that Cunningham is anxious to take on and help the team succeed.
“I'm trying harder this year to be a little bit more of a verbal leader,” Cunningham said confidently. “In our first team meeting, I spoke a lot more than I did last year. I'm a little more comfortable with it this year, definitely because I'm older – we have a few freshmen. I already know the people on our team a little bit better. I'm excited and I'm going to try very hard to show them not only verbally and to lead by example.”
Cunningham knows as well as anybody that in order to play at the highest level, you have to have fun with it and enjoy yourself. He did have opportunities to dab in a little fun along the way. One of his favorite aspects about playing in so many events across the country was the obvious traveling. He enjoyed seeing different parts of the country and doing some sight-seeing when he wasn't competing.
Many days for the second-year college golfer lasted from sun up to sun down. Days like that would take a toll on anybody let alone having to do them for weeks on end. Some days lasted longer than others but after a while you want to take a breather
You can look at his numbers and say that they rival many players on the PGA tour, but the important thing to remember is that he is still a young man who enjoys having fun and taking in the sites and venues.
“When I was in Niagara Falls – I took two days and we went over to the falls,” said Cunningham. “Those days, I still practiced a little bit. When I was in Chicago for three weeks, my dad and I played frisbee golf one day just to relax and to not worry about anything. I walked around New York City one day as well.”
Cunningham has had a summer that rivals dedicated travelers and competitive golfers. Now that school is back in session, he knows it's time for him to shift gears and focus on balancing school work alongside his practice schedule. It's something he did pretty well last year and will look to continue during the 2015-16 season. With his experiences during the summer, he's as prepared as ever to take on those challenges.
Cunningham's Summer Results
Summer scoring average: 70.13
Tournament: Finish (Score)
U.S. Open Local Qualifiers – Tucson, Ariz.: 4th (67)
U.S. Open Regional Qualifiers – Memphis Tenn.: T-35th (73-68=141)
Sunnehana Amateur – Johnstown, Pa.: T-8th (68-65-68=201)
North & South Amateur – Pinehurst, N.C.: 1st (Stroke, 70-69-73=212), 2nd (Match)
The Players Amateur – Bluffton, S.C.: T-20th (72-75-68-69=284)
Sothern Amateur – West Point, Miss.: T-85th (73-72=145)
U.S. Amateur Qualifiers – Mesa, Ariz.: 2nd (67-72=139)
Porter Cup – Niagara Falls, N.Y.: T-19th ( 68-73-71-70=282)
Western Amateur Championship – Chicago, Ill.: T-22nd (70-71-76-71=288)
U.S. Amateur Championship – Chicago, Ill.: T-5th (Stroke, 71-66=137); T-33rd (Match)
