Going to state golf for two years in a row isn’t easy, but senior Addie Oetken is working to make it three.

“I am trying to make it three (years) and make it to the second day, but I have to be focused and fix some parts of my game to do that,” Oetken said.

Golf is an intensely psychological game, with countless variables to consider and an overwhelming number of thoughts to manage.

You have to think about your body’s position, the ball’s position, the potential paths of your ball, keep track of your ball. And on and on.

“Before I hit every shot, I take a breath and remind myself, even if it’s a bad shot, to just focus on the next one and get the bad shot out of my head,” Oetken said.

Her biggest challenge this season is putting and making sure she gets the ball on the line of the green.

Being on varsity golf since her freshman year, she has gotten a lot of experience and advice from her teammates and upperclassmen since she was younger. 

In her freshman year, she played with two upperclassmen.

“My senior year, our team has grown so much,” Oetken said.

Her favorite memory from her golfing experience was regionals at Liberal her junior year.

“It was a long drive, so we got to play board games, watch movies, and talk about how the course was and get mentally prepared for it,” Oetken said.

From personal growth and the growth of the team, Oetken is using past advice, experiences, and motivation from her peers to get to state this year.

“I hope the next girl to take my spot has a fun time playing the game and really commits to it,” she said.