COLUMBUS — Columbus all-state golfers Landon Olson and William Conat have had a club in their hands for about as long as they can remember.
“I think I was 8 or 9, and then I just kept swinging from there. I've been swinging since I was in diapers. I took a break from there, but I've been swinging since then," said Olson, a senior who finished runner-up at the State B tournament last year and is committed to play golf at Montana Tech.
“As soon as I could walk is what I've been told. I picked up a club and kept going from there," said Conat, a junior. "My dad kind of put me in it and I've never stopped since then."
As their bodies and games grew through the years, so did their mental strength. As much as the game is about ball-striking, it’s about controlling what goes on in the six inches between the ears.
“It's just mostly experience and getting into that mindset and 'What's the next swing?' You've got to forget and have a mind like a goldfish and just keep on going," Olson said.
All the work has paid off for the duo, which is leading a talented Columbus team into the spring season. Olson and Conat practice together on a daily basis and frequently play together during tournaments, and they’ve found that they bring out the best in each other.
“We push each other to our limits. I know he's a really good golfer and I'm a really good golfer. At the end of the day, we're proud of each other no matter what. It's a really good competitive sport, because we always push each other no matter what," Olson said.
“We've always said we want a 1-2 finish in every tournament. That's what we shoot for," Conat said. "Every once in a while, golf is golf. There's not going to be a day that goes by and you play perfect golf either way, so we're always there to support each other."
The Cougars have their first meet on April 6 in Big Timber.
