Q&A With STPGA Junior Golf Member William Moll
Oct 23, 2018 • Blake Davis
How did the nerves of your first tee shot on Monday morning rank amongst most nervous golf shots you’ve ever hit?
It was definitely the most nervous I have ever felt standing over a golf ball. There were a lot of people watching, and as I thought about what was at stake, it made the anxiety about the first shot even greater. Playing for something larger than myself brought a lot of extra weight to the shot.
What was the best advice you heard in Paris about how to stay calm under pressure?
Our captain, Mr. Allen Wronowski, PGA, told us to have a great time and enjoy every second while on the course because it was going to be such an awesome experience. Once I got past the first tee shot, by focusing on the present and enjoying the moment I was able to stay calm most of the time.
Talk about the difference in mindset you had when playing alternate shot and best ball. Which one did you prefer playing in?
When playing alternate shot, you need to consider your playing partner, and what he/she would like to hit on the next shot. Best ball is just about making the best score possible with your own ball and you can usually play more aggressively. I prefer best ball because I sometimes find it hard to get into a groove when playing alternate shot.
How badly do you want to play in the Ryder Cup one day, having now gotten a taste of the Junior Ryder Cup?
I would absolutely love to be able to play in the Ryder Cup someday. It is probably one of the biggest goals I could set for myself. The feeling I had walking down to the first tee in front of the crowd was overwhelming. It was so cool and exciting being there. The atmosphere is completely different from a regular tournament. There is so much pride for your country and the competition is intense. I love both of those things.
What was it like playing as the away team in Europe? How much different would the experience have been had you played in the States?
It was definitely tough playing as the away team. Most of the fans were rooting for the European team and adjusting to the time change was a challenge as well. I know that our team was really tired because of the time difference. I think playing in the States would have been better for our team golf wise, but I am glad we played where we did because we were able to see and experience a new country and to some degree, a different style of golf.
You had a very back and forth singles match against Rasmus Hojgaard. Even though he got the edge on you, how much fun was that environment?
The match was awesome even though I lost. I played one of my best rounds, shooting six under. I felt like I put up a good fight, especially down the stretch when we halved a couple of holes with birdies. It was just super fun being able to compete well against one of the top-30 amateurs in the world. It meant a lot to me and gives me confidence knowing that I was able to perform fairly well under the circumstances.
How much more did the nerves kick in after that match, having to watch your teammates and hope that your match wouldn’t be the difference-maker in the final outcome?
Nerves were really high watching the last few matches finish. You definitely think about the “what ifs” in your own match, but while the other matches were still being played, I wanted to concentrate on supporting my teammates. We already had 12 points to secure the tie and we wanted to get another half point to secure the outright win. Watching Rachel Heck’s 12-foot birdie putt to halve her match to win it for the team was very intense and the feeling of euphoria was awesome when she made it.
What was it like getting to meet and hang out with other top junior golfers across the country?
It was so much fun playing with the other junior golfers on the team. While I already knew some of the US players pretty well from other tournaments, over the course of the week in Paris I feel like the entire team really bonded and we all became great friends. We spent so much time together competing as teammates, practicing together, cheering for each other, eating together, going to Disneyland, and just hanging out. Also, getting to meet and know the players from the European team was very special too.
Was there any particular reason you were teamed up with Cole Ponick and Rachel Heck on Monday? Similar golf games, similar personalities, both, or something else?
Well, for both of those pairings, we were paired together because Cole, Rachel, and I are good friends. Chemistry is essential in team match play, so it is important to be paired with someone you get along with well. Also, Cole and I have very similar golf games, so for alternate shot that may have been a factor in our pairing.
Where do you go from here after this experience and what will be the lasting takeaway from your time at this event?
Now that I am back home, I will go back to preparing for college and the rest of my junior career. I can practice now with a new goal in mind of hopefully being able to play in a Ryder Cup someday. The feeling of pride for my country as I walked to the first tee is something I will never forget. Playing in the Junior Ryder Cup is definitely an experience that will motivate me to achieve my goals in the future.
What advice would you give younger golfers?
One thing I would say to junior golfers is just to keep playing the game you love. Getting experience on the course is awesome and very beneficial to your golf game, so practice, but make sure to play a lot too. Just have fun in your junior golf experience and make life-long friends at tournaments.
Over the years, what has the Southern Texas PGA meant to you?
The STPGA has meant so much to me. When I was younger, the STPGA provided so many great opportunities to play and compete in golf tournaments, and there was always a goal to try to make it to the championship tournament and play well. Playing in those tournaments really helped me get to where I am today, with respect to my golf game and life in general. The STPGA has taught me many lessons about the game and has helped me love to play golf. The atmosphere the STPGA creates at tournaments is so fun that it’s impossible to not enjoy it no matter how you play.
McAllen, TX (May 4-5, 2024) - This past weekend the Srixon Billiard Factory Prestige Tour hosted The Rio Grande Showcase at McAllen Country Club! This weekend both of our champions earned their first win in the 2024 season!
Spring, TX (MAY 3, 2024) – We had another great month on the Srixon Billiard Factory Prestige Tour with 3 more amazing tournaments! Thank you to all our awesome players and parents for continuing to help make the Prestige Tour the best in Texas! Good luck to all our players as they compete in their State Championship tournaments in the coming weeks, we love when our players have success at all levels! Prestige Tour Schedule Updates! In case you missed it our 2024 Summer Prestige Tour schedule is open! We had a couple of edits to the schedule, the Fore! Challenge will now be taking place at Delaware Springs Golf Course in Burnet, TX and will still be on May 29-30. The PGA Tour Superstore Summer Showdown will now take place on June 3-4 at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort in Boerne, TX. Click Here to view the 2024 Prestige Tour schedule and be ready to spend your Summer with the STPGA! Insperity Invitational Tour Championship We are less than 75 days out from the premier event of the year, the first annual Insperity Invitational Tour Championship for the Srixon Billiard Factory Prestige Tour! This once in a lifetime opportunity will take place at the Clubs of Houston Oaks on July 7-9. This long-awaited championship will showcase the best junior golfers the Southern Texas PGA has to offer, and the largest champion prize we have offered, a Battlefield Promotion onto the Legends Junior Tour! You can view the Invitation Breakdown to see how you can earn your spot! Ben Hogan Junior Cup Matches Do not miss out on your opportunity to represent Team STPGA at the 9 th Annual Ben Hogan Junior Cup Matches as we battle it out with the Northern Texas PGA in these Ryder Cup style matches. These esteemed Matches will once again take place at the prestigious Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth, TX on August 5-6. Shady Oaks was once home to world renowned golfer Ben Hogan, the name sake of the matches, where he co-founded this pristine course with Texas Golf Hall of Famer, Marvin Leonard. There are still ample opportunity to claim your spot on the team and co can find out by viewing our exemption breakdown . Prestige Tour Player Tournament Status Update In an effort to continue to uphold the integrity of the game and to ensure players do not quit mid-round due to elective, non-emergency reasons, the Southern Texas PGA is updating the policy on player designations when a player is no longer an active participant in a tournament. If a player tees off to begin a tournament, they will now be classified under one of the following 4 designations should they no longer become an active participant in the tournament, Disqualified (DQ), Withdrawal (WD), No Show (NS) and No Card (NC). To view the full definition of these classifications, Click Here to view the full policy. Legends Junior Tour Performances We are excited for a great year on the Prestige Tour, but to also what all our junior golfers will accomplish at the next level. With a short break in April, we are looking forward to our players showing out at the Bluebonnet Championship, the next Legends Junior Tour event and an Invitational, on May 4-5 at Brownwood Country Club! Good luck to all our players competing! Thank You to Our Title Partners! With all the awesome achievements of our Srixon Billiard Factory Prestige Tour golfers we want to thank our many Partners without whom our incredible Tour would not be possible! Firstly, we want to thank Billiard Factory , who is a fantastic supporter of the Southern Texas PGA Junior Golf Program. Billiard Factory has amazing products and services for all your home entertainment furniture needs! Another big thank you to Srixon for providing our players with golf balls and other equipment to keep them at the top of their game! Always keep them in mind when looking to level up your game or when deciding which golf ball to play. Another big thank you to Veritex Bank , our title sponsor of the Lone Star Shootout. Veritex Bank is a community bank serving its customers with a full suite of banking products and services. Keep them in mind for all your banking and financial needs! Rules Corner On the May edition of Rules Corner, we will be talking about Provisional Balls. This is covered in Rule 18.3 in the Rules of Golf. A Provisional Ball is there to prevent a player from having to go all the way back to where their previous stroke was made when stroke and distance is their only option. You can play a Provisional Ball anytime you think your original ball may be lost outside a penalty area or Out of Bounds. If a ball is known or virtually certain to be in a Penalty Area, you would NOT be playing provisional, but instead taking your relief of stroke and distance. Remember, you MUST ALWAYS announce a provisional to one of the players in your group or to a Rules Official, if you do not you would be taking stroke and distance. You can continue to play your provisional as long it is not nearer the hole than where your original ball is believed to be. Once you play from closer to the hole, or your 3-minute search time is up for your original ball, your provisional is now your ball in play and you can no longer make a stroke at your original. Your Provisional MUST be abandoned once your original ball is found. Provisionals are there to help you save time and a walk back, so don’t forget to use them! You can find more information about the Rules for the Prestige Tour by reading the Hard Card , the STPGA Rules and Regulations , and the USGA Rules of Golf! Thank you again to all our players, parents, host facilities, and Sponsors! We are looking forward to a great rest of the year with fierce competition and low scores! Don’t forget to check the Prestige Tour Schedule for the rest of the year! As always, if we can ever be of assistance to you, please feel free to contact me via email ( mcoughlin@pgahq.com ) or phone (832-442-2300) or Connor Murphy via email ( cmurphy@pgahq.com ) or phone (832-442-2410)!
KINGWOOD, TX (APRIL 27-28, 2024) - Eleven Champions were named at the 2024 Spring Championship at The Clubs of Kingwood (Forest Course). Champions were crowned from Junior Tour and Little Linksters. In addition to crowning our spring season champions, an incredible opportunity to qualify for the 13th Annual Texas Junior Cup team was also on the line this weekend for the Little Linksters.
Kerrville, TX (April 20-21, 2024) - This past weekend the Srixon Billiard Factory Prestige Tour hosted the Heart of Texas Classic at Riverhill Country Club! The competition was close as they battled through the tough weather conditions, both champions rose above the rest to clinch their first-time Prestige Tour wins.
