University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Ryan Argotsinger Helping Men's Golf Excel This Season
3/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
By Jasmine C. Tate
Athletic Media Relations Intern
Ryan Argotsinger continues to help the Southern Miss golf team rise to the top as he has posted six individual Top 20 finishes this season.
Under the direction of head coach Jerry Weeks, Argotsinger has helped pace the Golden Eagles to Top Five finishes in four of eight tournaments during the 2014-15 campaign.
The redshirt sophomore and sports management major, ended the first half of the season averaging 74.3 strokes per round, but has bettered the mark this spring, averaging 72.6 strokes over eight rounds and three tournaments.
His top three finishes have come in the Top 10, including a ninth-place showing at the Memphis Intercollegiate during the fall. In the first tournament this spring, he completed a final round of 71 to finish one-over par for ninth-place at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate, hosted by South Alabama. He also helped the Golden Eagles to their first team championship of the season with an even-par 144 at the rain-shortened Samford Intercollegiate.
The Kansas City, Mo., native came to Southern Miss after a year of play at the University of Northern Iowa. Although he was unable to play during the 2013 season due to NCAA transfer rules, he returned to action a better golfer with improved putting and short game.
Argotsinger was introduced to the sport by his father at an early age, but didn't begin playing competitively until his sophomore year of high school, to go along with his participation in both baseball and basketball. After graduation, he set his sights on a career in professional golf and began working toward that goal.
"I'm a really competitive person; that's why I like playing sports," said Argotsinger. "Honestly, I knew I couldn't play baseball or basketball professionally. Golf was by far the best choice for me."
While flexibility, fluency and endurance are personal strengths, a strong mentality sets him apart from the competition and he credits his growth to the help of his coaches and experience.
"I was very immature when I came down here, thinking I'm the best golfer there is," said Argotsinger. "My mental game is 100 times better than when I first came down here. When I go to a tournament, I know I already have an advantage because my mental game is so strong."
Already surpassing his highest achievements last season, Argotsinger looks forward to reaching his end goal of winning a tournament and is driven by the pressure of competition.
"Golf is fun when you're playing well," he said. "Personally the pressure of being in a golf tournament and knowing that you're playing against 75 other guys and that if you play good this round you can beat all of them [is the most exciting feeling]. It's fun to feel that. That's what we thrive off sometimes, is the competition and wanting to beat everyone else."
With dreams of one day playing on the PGA tour, Argotsinger places concentration on winning one tournament at a time and uses focus to prepare before each eight to nine hour day on a course.
"I try to dial in my concentration on focusing on what I need to do that day," he said. "I'm more focused on what I need to do to warm up to get myself ready for that tournament."
Aside from golf, Argotsinger enjoys wakeboarding with his twin brother, who studies professional golf management at Mississippi State University.
"I love the lake," he said. "It's my escape from golf when I need it."
Argotsinger is proud to call the south his new home as he pursues his dreams and embraces the southern culture and lifestyle. With two years of eligibility left, he plans to pursue a Master's degree in business administration as he completes his collegiate golf career.
"I'm becoming more southern as `they say', but its fun; I like it," he said. "It was the best decision of my life to come down here, because I have everything I need down here to become a professional golfer, which is what I want to do."