Senior co-captain David Chung reflects on his Stanford career and what lies ahead

   

2012 brings not only a New Year, but also the home stretch for my Stanford golf career. There are new opportunities that will arise, and also departure from my lifestyle for the past 4 years. I will take on the professional golf world when I graduate, but also leave the friends that I’ve grown and bonded with over my time. 

 Freshman year memories of Coach reprimanding me for forgetting my umbrella on golf tournament trips, to strapping on 7 golf bags on the top of a rental van with a yellow rope and driving on the freeway at 60 mph fearing that we might not even get a chance to play in our tournament in Hawaii, to playing in the Masters, and finally being the old guy on the team.

25 pounds, 150 units, countless football games, late-night cram sessions at Green Library and dozens of college golf tournaments later I am about to embark on my dream to play professional golf. However, there is a bit of business I have left to take care of here at Stanford. It has been 5 whole years since we’ve won the National Championship. We are long overdue for a title run and this year we have all the weapons to do it.

Wilson Bowen is the most athletic player in college golf, Andrew Yun has been a top 5 machine for the past two years, Steven Kearney is one of the longest and straightest drivers of the ball I’ve played with, Andre DeDecker is one of the most talented golfers I’ve seen, Cameron Wilson is a pure ballstriker and a deadly putter, Shane Lebow is a feisty, gritty player and will fight for every stroke, Patrick Grimes can get up and down out of a trash can, Marcel Puyat has amazing hands and creativity, and Patrick Rodgers is Mr. Consistency.

I have so much trust in my team this year and confidence in each man that I am incredibly excited for what is about to happen.

 Stay Tuned!
Senior co-captain David Chung

Soph David Chung writes about his experience on the Farm

Stanford never ceases to amaze me.  Our most recent golf team fundraiser was named "Shultz Cup."  Yes, after the former Secretary of State, George Shultz.  Not only was the event hosted by Mr. Shultz, but its guest list included our very own former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and many notable businessmen from around Palo Alto and Silicon Valley areas.   I could feel success permeating through the air that day.   The people I meet at Stanford inspire me to strive for excellence in all that I do.

I was told that sophomore year is the toughest academic year at Stanford and believe me, it is true!  Juggling intensive school work, morning workouts and golf practices is turning me into a productive and organized person.  If there is one lesson I've learned, it’s the importance of multitasking.  Despite the work, I wouldn't trade my experience at the Farm with anything else!

After winning our last fall event and our first spring start, our team ran into some rough patches.  Our 7th place finish at the US Intercollegiate event, which we hosted at the Farm last week, was especially painful. It made us appreciate earlier wins, but at the same time, it made us realize how much it burns to lose.  As the old saying goes, you learn wisdom from failure much more than from success.  We have put in the hard work and have upped the intensity in our workouts and in practice.  

As the postseason is upon us, we are ready to push each other as a team.  Yesterday, at our Annual Stanford Alumni vs. Varsity Challenge Match,  all 10 of us played and our best five scores were 65, 66, 66, 67, 67, not so bad for a team in a “slump.”  On the immediate horizon for the team is the Pac-10 Championship which starts five days from now (April 26-28). It is at ASU’s Karsten Course in Tempe, a venue that held the ASU Thunderbird Invitational that our team competed in two weeks ago.  It is a Pete Dye course that puts a premium on accurate iron shots and good putting.  The course suits our game and we are ready.  As coach has repeatedly reminded us, we have yet to play our best golf this season.  Maybe that will happen next week...

Go Card!

David Chung ('12)

Summer tournament results for Ziegler, Chung, Kim, Kemmer & Kearney

In addition to the great win by David Chung in the prestigious North-South Amateur Championship held at Pinehurst #2, All-American Steve Ziegler advanced to the round of 16 at the British Amateur held June 15-20. Steve now is the 19th ranked amateur in the world.

In other action, recently graduated Dodge Kemmer and incoming freshman Steven Kearney competed in the Sahalee Players Championship. Dodge finished tied for 12th and Steven finished 55th. Meanwhile, after a great start to the summer by Sihwan Kim, he continued his fine play finishing 24th in the Dogwood Invitational.

Results can be found below for the four events.

The British Amateur Championship |
The North-South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst |
http://www.sahaleeplayerschampionship.com/index.htm l
http://www.sahaleeplayerschampionship.com/results/2009/Stroke.html |
http://www.thedogwood.com/scores

Freshman David Chung writes about his first college tournament

Freshman David Chung, after a steller junior career, writes about his first college tournament experience playing in the Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields.

"My first tournament was a great experience. It started when we met at the golf course parking lot to head to the airport. Those that weren’t traveling showed up to send us off and those of us that were traveling suited up in our blue blazers and Stanford ties, gathered our bags, and drove off.

The plane ride to Chicago went smoothly and we checked into a nearby hotel for some rest. The next day played at Chicago Golf Club for a fun round. Chicago Golf Club is one of those clubs that is so exclusive that it is only recognizable from the road by a computer screen sized metal plate that simply states CHICAGO GOLF CLUB and is listed on a GPS navigation system not as Golf Club Drive or Masters Lane as some are golf clubs are; instead, the GPS voice tells you to turn into alley to get to Chicago Golf Club.

We were lucky enough to get invited because Mr. Grube, the father of former Stanford golfer Rob Grube, is a member and was generous enough to invite us to his club for a day of golf and dinner. The course was very difficult but also very enjoyable to play. I had the privilege of playing with Mr. Kinsey, Mr. Gifford, Coach Ray and Coach Tight. Coach Ray and I had a fun match which luckily I was able to win.

Following a great time at Chicago Golf Club we drove to a hotel closer to Olympia Fields – where our tournament would be played. The next day I got my first look at the course. Olympia Fields is a course that challenges and tests every aspect of a golfer’s game. It had 7 inch tall rough, narrow fairways, fast undulating greens, and plenty of length.

Friday we started the Fighting Illini Invitational and I got to play my first college round. I got off to a solid opening hole and felt excited and ready to help our team win, but on the second hole after a great drive, my approach shot caromed off the side of a bunker and under a tree root. That unfortunate break would lead to a quadruple bogey and a giant hole for me to come back out of. I would finish the round with very average play and shoot 79. I was very disappointed with my first round but quickly looked for ways to contribute as our team focused on round two.

In round two, Coach Ray followed me and was basically my caddie. It was very helpful to have his input on every shot and also enjoyable to have him by my side. Round two would bring some solid play and more confidence in my driver, but a triple bogey on the 16th hole killed me and led to a 75.

The final round our team was pumped up and ready to finish strong. I was determined to help out our team score and have a good round. I played very solid golf and shot what seemed to me like an easy round of 71. Our team also played solid on the final day and shot a respectable 4-over total for a total of 27 over and 4th place.

We were all disappointed that we didn’t win but we all learned a lot about ourselves, our games, and each other. I feel that we’ve grown a lot as a team already and I’m excited to make 2008-2009 a great season!"

David Chung

Here's David with a touchy downhill chip on 8 at Olympia Fields GC. It ran 4 feet past and left of the hole and he made the par putt.