Freshman golfer Drake Bushong is very humble.
He’s soft-spoken and one would never have guessed that he’s already one of the top golfers on the Bradley men’s golf team.
In his first fall season with the team he set a school record with an average of 71 per round. Bushong medaled in a tournament two weeks ago, turning in a final round 70, which was one-under par. The effort earned him first place individually.
He attributed his success to one simple thing: believing in himself.
“I just went out and tried my best, and whatever happened, happened,” Bushong said.
According to Bushong, “it was a good thing to know” that he’s already made Bradley history books, but he’s certainly not one to rest on his laurels.
“I’m not going to let that define who I am,” he said. “I just have to go out there and keep getting better and better.”
His journey on the links began when he was young. His father introduced him to the game, and Bushong has been playing ever since he got his first set of plastic golf clubs.
Bushong’s father taught Drake the essentials to the game early on. Once Bushong continued to improve, his father didn’t think he could teach his son anything else. Bushong had a swing coach for a period of time in junior high, but once he passed away, Bushong and his father were on their own again.
“Me and my dad just kind of do it,” Bushong said. “I just remember what [my old coach] told me, and those were mainly just the basics. He said if I do these things, I’ll be just fine, and I really started to believe that and made me into what I am today.”
Bushong’s game is clearly quite impressive. He says his best assets are his short game and his ability to stay mentally tough.
However, being the player he is, said he didn’t just have one area of improvement: he wants to improve in all phases of his game, including his “mental capabilities.”
“I don’t want to get sidetracked or flustered or aggravated by a bad shot,” Bushong said. “Those will always happen. You just move on to the next shot and take it from there.”
The freshman seems to be extremely mentally focused this fall, as he has finished in the top 20 at all four invitationals he played in.
How does he stay so mentally tough, especially as a freshman?
“That’s a good question,” Bushong said as he shook his head. “I just focus on what I have to do at that time and try to do it to the best of my abilities, and if it works it works, and if it doesn’t, I just accept it and do it all over again on the next shot.”
While some players have particular courses they enjoy playing on, Bushong shrugs when he’s asked what type of courses he prefers to play on; he can simply play everywhere.
He said he does have one preference, which separates him from other golfers.
“If it has fast greens or something of that nature or if it has narrow fairways, that suits my game,” Bushong said. “That could be a weakness for some players, whereas for me, it’s a strength playing those types of courses, so every time I get to play one of those, I have an advantage over everyone else.”
His goal for his career at Bradley is simple: to be the best he can be. In the long run, he said he wants to have a chance to play professionally. But for now, he has many more feats to quietly accomplish on the Hilltop.
