Captain leads the way for men's golf

“A great kid. Works hard. Happy.”

Those were the words used by Columbia’s head coach of men’s golf, Rich Mueller, when asked to describe senior captain Sam Mysock.

Mysock guided the men’s golf team through an impressive performance this weekend, as the team placed second at the Cornell Invitational. The Lions finished three strokes behind eventual winner Binghamton University.

Mysock played as an individual, finishing the event with a score of 216 and a tie for second place. Overall, he was very pleased with his performance this weekend, and expressed gratitude to Lions head coach Rich Mueller and his teammates.

“I have struggled with my swing the past couple of years, but I’ve worked pretty hard on it this year,” Mysock said. “Coach Mueller and a couple of our sophomores gave me some swing advice that has really helped, and it came together this weekend. It’s important to me that I continue playing well since this is my last year, it’s my last shot.”

“The team had a tremendous weekend and played well in the last few holes. It was exciting to see,” Mueller said.

Mysock started swinging a golf club when he was only three years old.

“My dad would take me out to the course with him on weekends and I’d run around the course and play a few holes,” he said.

Though he first picked up the golf clubs at a very young age, it was at age nine that he started playing the sport seriously by competing in his first tournaments. Mysock played for his high school team in Oklahoma before joining the Columbia team. During his career at Cascia Hall Prep, Mysock was a four-year letter winner, served as team captain his senior year, was named to All-Metro and All-State teams, and helped his team to an Oklahoma AAA State Championship in 2004. In addition to high school golf, Mysock also played junior tournaments all over the country during the summers.

“I actually competed against a couple of my current teammates, but of course I didn’t know them back then,” he said.

Besides being a history major with a passion for ancient Greek history, Mysock is captivated by fishing.

“I fish as much as I can when I am home,” he said.

The Oklahoma native appreciates being a part of the Columbia team, which won the Ivy League Championship in his first two years here.

“Golf has always been a huge part of my life, so it’s tough to pinpoint one aspect that interests me the most,” Mysock said. “It’s definitely a relaxing sport and I’ve had the opportunity to meet some great people whom I would not have met otherwise. The team aspect of college golf is also great. As a kid I always wanted to play in college, so it’s absolutely a dream come true to be playing here. The Columbia golf team has obviously been really good the past several years, and I’m very thankful to be a part of our success. The educational opportunities provided here are a huge plus as well.”

Being on the Columbia team has been instrumental in Mysock’s development as a golf player. Regarding Mysock’s progress throughout his three years on the team, coach Mueller noted, “There’s just a sense of maturity. He’s certainly developed. He’s confident.”

Mueller also praised the senior’s overall level of play.

“He hits the ball really far,” he said. “There are no weaknesses in his game. His level of concentration is really impressive.”

Mysock also believes that he has grown a lot as a golfer due to his experience with the team.

“The gap between junior golf and college golf is pretty wide,” he said. “Competition at this level is incredibly solid. I have had to work hard on several aspects of my game, not the least of which is hitting the ball straighter. I’m a better player now, and hopefully I can prove that this year.”

With a good tournament under his belt early in the year, the senior is looking ahead to the Ivies in the spring.

“The team we have now is just as good if not better than in years past, so our goal is to bring home another championship,” he said. “Our team and coach Mueller know how to win, so we just have to work hard and go get it.”

After graduating, Mysock is interested in a career in finance and hopes to find a job in that field. He definitely plans to continue playing golf.

“I plan to play golf for the rest of my life,” he said. “I think golf is really the universal language of business. It’s the best way to develop relationships and meet new people.”