Jake Olson is confident heading into the SDHSAA state golf tournament
WATERTOWN, S.D. (BVM) — Last fall the Watertown Arrows took second to SF Lincoln in the Class AA state golf tournament, coming close to their first state title since 1971.
This year the Arrows had the individual state runner-up, Kaden Rylance, and Jake Olson, who finished T-18 at state, return to the team. As the only two returning members from last year’s team, there was some uncertainty as to whether the team could make it back to state.
“We didn’t know for sure, but we thought we would have a pretty good chance this year,” Olson said.
That was proven true when Watertown won the Eastern South Dakota Conference tournament at Cattail Crossing Golf Course. Olson led the Arrows with a score of 68, winning his second individual conference tournament title, his first coming two years ago as an eighth grader.
The win was big for Olson who has been on a tear since his underwhelming performance at state last year.
“I wasn’t really used to that pressure being on me,” Olson said about his play at the state meet last year.
This past summer he got to work and trained everyday. The sophomore won the SDGA Junior Championship and had a win on the SDGA-Sanford Golf Series. Then just before the conference tournament, Olson was named the South Dakota Golf Association’s Junior Male Golfer of the Year.
“It shows that the work is paying off,” Olson said.
Not only that, but his confidence has grown since last year as well.
“This year has kind of been a breakthrough year where I’ve really gained a lot of confidence and the nerves have gone down,” Olson said. “It’s been a lot easier to go out there and play my best golf.”
The breakthrough is just recent in a career that goes back as far as Olson can remember.
“I’ve been playing my entire life,” Olson said.
His first introduction to golf came when his parents would take him out on the course in a car seat while they played. Once he was old enough to hold a club, he was playing, too. His mom would take him out everyday during the summer when he was in elementary school and his dad became his golf buddy.
When he started playing in competitions, he found success almost immediately but didn’t realize his potential until eighth grade when he won the conference tournament.
“I think eighth-grade year I won our conference tournament,” Olson said. “I think I realized I could probably do pretty good and make it to the next level.”
Unable to defend his title last year due to COVID, Olson defended it this year and now is ready to enter state with a whole new outlook.
“Last year I think I had doubts in myself,” Olson said. “I think this year I’ve proven that I can be good so I’ll be confident in my abilities and go from there.”
It’s a huge change in just a year, one that bodes well for Olson’s future not just this year with the Arrows, but for years to come.
