Q & A spotlight: Matt Thurmond, new UW men's golf coach

Q: You are only 26 years old and were promoted in June from assistant when O.D. Vincent resigned to pursue a playing career. Are you the youngest Division I golf coach in the country?

A: I'm not sure. I know there are guys about my age at schools in Georgia and New Mexico. I may be young but I don't feel inexperienced. I've been involved with college golf since 1993. I've been an assistant under two of the best coaches in the country, O.D. and Bruce Brockbank at BYU. The way I figure it, one year working for coaches like them at quality schools is worth about 10 years elsewhere. We're already under way and I expect to be the best coach in the country.

Q: You were state high-school champ at Burlington-Edison on a team that won four straight state titles. You were freshman of the year in the Western Athletic Conference for Brigham Young, then went on a two-year Mormon church mission to Venezuela and didn't play golf. How tough was it to get back in the groove when you got back?

A: Real tough. I was in tears several times in frustration because I worked so hard and couldn't break par. They expected a lot from me at BYU, and I expected a lot from myself. Then on April 1, a bird dumped on my hat while I was playing the fifth hole in a round. I went on to shoot 67 and it was a turning point. I started playing well and figured the bird was the signal that things had changed.

Q: The Huskies were a surprising fourth in the NCAA tournament in 1999 when you had just graduated from BYU. How good will next year's team be?

A: I think we can win a lot of tournaments and contend for the Pac-10 and even national championship. We have three young players who had wonderful spring seasons: John Robertson, Brock Mackenzie and Corey Prugh. I'm expecting Gordy Scutt to have a strong senior year after slumping last season. He was All-Pac-10 as a freshman and sophomore. The other guys — Dan Potter, Joe Ramos, Derek Berg and Conner Robbins — all are capable of having breakout years.

Q: Some folks don't realize the emphasis placed on physical conditioning in the UW program. What is the Husky regimen?

A: At 6:15 a.m. we have workouts that involve a lot of running plus stretching and some lifting. We have about five running routes on campus, and we expect our players to take at least a second off their times every time they run. There are physical benefits to being in great shape but the mental benefits are even more important. You learn to go beyond your limits and to perform when you don't feel like doing it or when it's cold, dark and raining. That way, when you step to the first tee and you've done all that work, you have an edge over your competitor. You know you've worked harder than he has.

Q: As a golf coach, do you spend much time helping players with their swings?

A: Not really. I monitor their swings but most college golfers have a teacher or someone they have been working with before they get here. I am more involved with how they manage themselves and pursue goals. My job is to help them get the most out of themselves. I have to learn when to push and when to back off. There aren't enough hours in the day for these guys. The players are full-time students and they practice every afternoon at local courses that are just wonderful to us. They have homework and they also try to squeeze in a social life. They travel and sometimes are gone for a week. People may think that playing college golf amounts to playing golf for fun every day but there are a lot of demands and pressure.

Q: You married an athlete, Kathy Sorenson of San Diego, who was WAC triple-jump champion at BYU. She's a business consultant. Does she play golf?

A: No, at least not yet. And I don't triple-jump.