TUCSON, Ariz. -- He's an All-American and hometown hero who established himself as one of the top collegiate golfers in the country. Trevor Werbylo looks the part too. An athletic 6-foot-1-inch frame that crushes tee shots with audible power. Yet his coaches and teammates all point to something else when asked what makes Werbylo stand out.

Quiet confidence and a zen-like mental approach to the game.

"He demonstrates calm in all situations, which allows him to perform at an optimal level," Arizona Head Men's Golf Coach Jim Anderson noted. "When he's at his best, playing exceptional golf, he does so with a calm fearlessness."

The mind can be the most volatile part of one's golf game. It's something the Tucson native has worked at.

"When I was a younger golfer, I definitely had a temper," Werbylo reflected. "I've learned to still have that fire inside and be hard on myself, but I don't externalize it. I know if I want to play my best golf, I have to always be in the best state of mind for my next shot."

The senior also knows complete control of his emotions can impact the competition. When your opponent sees you're unflappable, it puts the seeds of doubt in their own head.

"If you are playing against someone who never shows their emotions, and show they're always in control, it can be intimidating."

That calm fearlessness that Anderson alludes to is a constant in Werbylo's game. When the then-sophomore shot a record round of 63 in Arizona's home event, the NIT, Anderson vividly remembers see his calm demeanor on display.

"Trevor was already eight strokes under par as he started on one of our historically toughest holes," Anderson reflected. "He hit a near-perfect approach shot and then just missed the putt. True to form, he didn't react. His body language never changed from any other point in the round, and you wouldn't even have known he missed a shot. But that's Trevor and that's his control of his emotions. He didn't let it bother him at all and continued to play one of the best rounds in program history."
 

Being unfazed throughout a round or event is a big part of the mental game of golf, but Werbylo's cerebral approach includes a level of shot visualization well beyond his years. The Arizona coaching staff highlight his meticulous preparation for every hole as he constantly analyzes all the variables of every shot and every pin. It's that eye for how to attack a pin that provided the staff with a special glimpse of greatness.

THE "WOW MOMENT"
Arizona assistant coach Chris Nallen has played a part in numerous memorable moments in Arizona Men's Golf history. The four-time All-American is a name you recognize whose career embodies the "decorated" moniker.

While caddying for Werbylo at the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst in North Carolina, Nallen witnessed Werbylo shoot a blistering round of 66. But it was a pair of up-and-downs that wowed the Wildcat great.

"Trevor missed in a bad spot on the par-5, 10^th hole, but true to who he is he didn't let it bother him," Nallen reflected. "He then calmy hits the perfect chip, over a steep slope, into a valley and onto the green towards a pin cut tight to the edge. Perfect spin, perfect placement in an 18-inch zone to roll within two feet of the hole."

Werbylo didn't react and just calmy grabbed his putter and walked towards the green.

"When I saw him hit that shot around the green with that kind of touch, I saw that greatness he has. You witness that in person, and you know someone's got it. They've got what it takes, and you know they're going to go somewhere great playing this game."

COMPETITION AS A LEADER
While Werbylo's silent composure fuels his confidence to be aggressive attacking pins, his calming demeanor adds to the competitive nature of the team. Briggs Duce, who joined the Wildcat program a year before Werbylo, sees Werbylo's success through a similar lens.

"Trevor is calm and confident on the course because he trusts his approach to what he does out there," Duce said. "Every shot he hits, he believes it will work. He relies on that confidence every practice round and in every tournament. The best thing for him to do is to continue to stay true to what him to that level. Just be Trevor and keep doing all the little things he does so well."
 

Werbylo is a fierce competitor with himself, his opponents and his teammates. His quiet nature on course hides his fiery desire to be great, but it's a motivating display for the entire team as they approach a highly anticipated season.

"In this game, it really helps to constantly be around good players,' Duce continued. "Even in a regular four-some, if everyone is getting after it on every shot, it rubs off on the whole group. That's how it is with Trevor and all of us on the team. He always sets the example of how to plan your shots and play consistent while bringing out the competitive fire in all of us. We are all happy for Trevor, and all he's accomplished so far, but we all want to play with him and beat him too."