Eye the hole. Slight bend in the waist. Head down. Hips. Feet. Shoulders. Aligned. Breathe. Putt. Sink.
Between training for the SCGA tournament and getting ready to play Division-I golf for Notre Dame in the Fall, amateur Niall Platt is trying to take his game one stroke at a time.
Niall will compete this Friday in the Southern California Golf Association’s 111th amateur tournament – their first ever in Santa Barbara County – as one of 83 golfers who qualified.
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“Since it’s here, on my home course, it means more to me than any normal tournament,” Niall said.
This year’s tourney is hosted by the La Cumbre Country Club, where his home is literally behind the second hole.
Niall Platt knows the course at La Cumbre Country Club well, the site of this weekend's SCGA Amateur.
On a gloomy June morning, I was able to follow the recent Laguna Blanca graduate and Santa Barbara county standout, to see the daily operation of this budding golfer.
He wasn’t hard to spot. Checking into the pro shop at the Santa Barbara Golf Club, there he was. NotreDame cap, a golf bag probably heavier (and wider) than he is, and a leprechaun sock – complete with scruffy beard and emerald green hat- that covered his driver.
7:48 – Tee Off
Niall’s golf mates arrive a few minutes late – his older brother Buff, and talented but quiet Santa Maria amateur standout Danielle Gillaspy.
Buff, Niall’s 34-year old half-brother with a surfer-like swagger, is a PGA certified golf instructor at Twin Lakes golf course. Buff’s taken on the responsibility of working out with Niall and making sure he’s as ready as can be when he leaves to Indiana in August.
7:55 – Actual Tee Off
Niall drives the ball about 270 yards. Good for some, but not enough for Niall’s liking.
“Distance is a big deal for me,” Niall said. “Probably my biggest weakness.”
“That’ll work,” Buff intervenes.
Since Niall isn’t known for his long ball, Niall said he’s been working on his mid-range game.
Earlier this year, Niall was able to play alongside Tom Kite, an American professional golf legend who spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the World Official Golf Rankings, and plays a similar style of golf.
“Kite gave him advice on how to score from 100-yards and in,” Buff said. “Since then, Niall’s been working on his wedge game and game management.”
10 a.m. – Let’s get interesting.
After the first 10 holes, which included a few missed putts and a 3rd hole hazard, Niall’s been playing sub par. Both Buff and Niall are playing behind Gillaspy.
“I’m just playing for fun. I’m not keeping track,” Gillaspy said, lying through her teeth.
Gillaspy will be transferring to Pepperdine this fall on a full scholarship.
“Maybe we should play a game for the last nine holes,” Niall said.
The guidelines: $5 a match. Three holes a match.
“It’s all about the money,” Niall said jokingly. “Maybe it’ll get me more focused.”
11:05 a.m. – 16th hole
It’s the second match and Niall’s $10 richer. Unplanned obstacle: It’s recess time at the neighboring Adams School and the kids are playing “Who can scream the loudest?”
Result: Everyone’s drive is off.
Buff offers to go double or nothing on the last match.
11:20 a.m. 17th hole
Niall hits a 13-foot put for birdie on a Par 4.
“That’s the difference,” Buff said. “He always putts well when it means the most. And he usually makes it.”
But putting wasn’t always Platt’s forte’. During his eighth grade year, Niall injured his wrist playing golf, which curbed his ability to fully swing for six months. During that time, he kept himself to the green.
“It was probably one of the better things that’s happened to me,” he said. “It made putting my strength.”
11:47 a.m. 18th hole
Niall drives the ball to the base of a tree. Must have got overconfident on the 13-foot put he just made. Skillfully, Niall catches up with Buff and Danielle on his second stroke.
On his third stroke, the ball takes a light bounce and sits three feet from the hole.
“Lucky guy,” Buff said.
“Pssshh. That was perfect,” Niall fires back.
“This is that wedge game we’re talking about,” Niall whispered to me, smile from ear to ear.
Birdie. Cha-ching!
12:45 p.m. – Lunchtime
We’ve headed to the La Cumbre Country Club for lunch before Niall works on his putting and chipping game.
“He eats like a carnivore,” says Brett.
He orders a double burger, no bun, because of his allergic reaction to wheat.
Platt just graduated from Laguna Blanca and will be playing at Notre Dame next season.
“No veggies in my diet,” Niall said. “This is the lunch of champions.”
On any other day, Niall said, he prefers a McDonalds breakfast, Chipotle lunch, and an Outback prime rib – done medium rare – for dinner.
1:15 – 2p.m. – Back to the basics
Niall works on his five-foot putts for more than an hour, from every point around the hole, and makes 19 in a row.
2:43 p.m. – Twin Lakes Golf Course
Niall and I head to Twin Lakes driving range so he can drive some balls, and finish his day with a core workout with Buff.
Niall picks up a couple buckets of balls, and makes everyone else look like rookies. But he’s still trying to increase the distance on his long ball.
Niall recalls the June 7 US Open qualifier where he knew that his long game needed much improvement.
“That’s what really separated me from the rest,” Niall sighed. “Some of the really good college guys were driving the ball 50 or 60 yards farther than me.”
4 p.m. – Payback time
We meet up with Buff for his core workout that consists of side rolls, pushups, planks, lunges, and other unorthodox workouts.
“He needs to be taught a lesson,” Buff said, with a devilish grin.
“Should we add more weight?” Buff asks as Niall lunges.
“No. I want to be able to get out of bed tomorrow,” Niall responds, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead and falling off his nose.
5:01 p.m. – Clock out
Riding shotgun, while the sun makes its way through the horizon, Niall chuckles catching his breath from what he considers “another day in the office,” and turns to Buff.
“I think you got $20 worth of suffering out of me,” Niall said.
