On the green, an interview with UAB golf's Austen Dailey

Tarek Abdalla, Staff Writer
Published On: 06/22/2009

I had the chance to catch up with UAB sophomore golfer Austen Dailey. Dailey is from Orange County, California and enters his first year of tournament play after redshirting his freshman season.

How was the transition from living and golfing in California to Alabama?

Coming from California to Alabama was a big jump for me as far as living on my own with a roommate in a dorm room and making the transition to college life. I struggled when I arrived in Alabama for a while but I was able to make the change and adapt well and am so glad I did it. As far as golfing goes, the courses we play in college now are a lot tougher than the ones I played in high school for the most part. In the fall it is hot and humid in Alabama, and it is not at all in California so that took a while to get used to as well, but I was able to make that change also. We play a lot of good golf courses that will test your game and expose you if you play bad so it definitely makes you a better player.

Why did you choose to redshirt your freshman year?

When I first came to Alabama, to be honest I had no interest or intentions to red shirt at all, but when I got off to a really slow start and did not play that well I started to give it some thought. I talked to Coach [Alan Kaufman] and figured that it would be the best thing for me to do to give me four more years to play and get better as a player. It also allowed me to adjust to Alabama with no pressure or worrying about making the starting five, and just go out to the course everyday and work hard to take my game to the next level.

How are you training in the summer for the upcoming season?

I am working real hard both on and off the golf course to get better and be ready for the upcoming season. I no longer have my redshirt and am looking forward to hopefully being a big asset to the team. I know what I am capable of doing and really want to play well. I am grinding on my game as hard as I can, working hard on the short game and playing alot of tournaments this summer gaining more experience, and just practicing a lot to make sure I am ready when the fall comes around. Off the golf course I am getting in the gym everyday to get physically fit with a lot of endurance to handle the heat and the hilly courses we play. Also trying to get a lot stronger to hit the ball further and be in better shape.

What are your thoughts on the previous season and your feelings on the upcoming season?

If you ask me, I do not think the previous season we had was a successful one. Our team has been used to making it to Regionals and Nationals and we did neither. Our team has so much talent with a lot of potential and I am very excited for this upcoming season. We are getting some new players so as a returning player, you are always curious to see what they can offer to our team. I cannot wait to get back to Alabama, although I am enjoying my summer here at home in California. I am very excited to get back to the courses out there and play in some tournaments and hopefully contribute good golf to our team and have a successful season.

In your opinion what would make the upcoming season a “successful” one and what improvements do you feel are needed to reach that success?

To make this upcoming season a successful one, I think it is all about getting better as a team and as individuals and make a run in the conference tournament. If we can do that, then hopefully we can make a good run at Regionals and make it to the NCAA National Championship. To get this done we all have to come together and play well at the right times. Every man playing in the tournament has to contribute good scores and with the team and players we have, I know we can do it.

Teammate Zach Sucher was named to SI.com’s Top-10 Dominators of the Year in 2008. Give your feelings on playing alongside Sucher.

Playing alongside Zack was awesome! He is a top five amateur in the world and to be on the team with him for one year I really learned a lot from him. He’s just an awesome person to be around both on and off the golf course because he is so competitive and I am the same way, so it was fun to be in that atmosphere. I am sure he’s going to have a great professional career and it is nice to call him a friend and a teammate.

Finally I know you are a Los Angeles Lakers fanatic, so go ahead and express your Laker pride on the championship season.

Oh yeah, I love LA baby! We got the title and it was awesome to see the Lakers get it done this year after the defeat last year to the Boston Celtics. It was not an easy road to the title but we were able to beat the Jazz, then we had a tough seven game series with the Rockets, and then the battle with the Nuggets to get to the NBA Finals. Lakers fans’ lives all changed when Pau Gasol came to the Lakers and he was such a big factor in getting this championship. Then of course with Kobe Bryant the best player in the league, it is just awesome to watch him bring the guys together to get it done and get his fourth ring with the Lakers. Also with players like Derek Fisher and Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic, Shannon Brown and Andrew Bynum, it was just awesome as a Laker fan to see them get it done, and hopefully we can do it again next year and have another parade!

Look out for Dailey and the rest of the UAB Men’s Golf team as they begin play this fall.

Email: tabdalla@uab.edu