295-over par in a college event? Here is the inspiring story behind it

The new golfer brings the bottom of the novelty closer to his face and tilts it at a 2 o'clock angle, examining it curiously, before extending it to a nearby observer.

“Is this one true?”

A 4-hybrid club, which is acquired by the new golfer after being shown its markings. That's good to know, and it seems right, but that also depends, especially if you're a new golfer.

I hit whatever felt best.

“OK, thanks,” said Jenna Smith, who is carrying the club, and her ball swerved to the right, dodging a few trees in the way.

I in college the golfer then does it all over again.

And again.

His points are there, but keep scrolling. Two weeks after this practice session, at his school's most important meet of the year, the NAIA Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament, there were 12, 13, 14 and 21. After three rounds, Smith finished with a 511, 295-over-par at Governors Towne Club in north Georgias, and 28 winners. How you got there is not complicated. Her school, Reinhardt University, also in north Georgia, had been fielding three women's golfers, four are needed to make the team, a note went out to Reinhardt's other teams, and Smith and several of her volleyball teammates were there. What's the worst that could happen?

How about eliminating the worst?

Was he ready to put himself out there like that? Was he willing to be embarrassed? He's really, really good at volleyball, and really, he's competitive in almost everything he does, so can he handle being really bad at golf?

What if a golf website heard about his story and chose to put his score in big, bold words for everyone to see? 295-over par in a college event?

But see the second part of that article above.

Here is the inspiring story behind it.

But maybe not at first. Samantha Roper, Isabella Mobley and Addy Anderson would agree, after their women's golf coach, Evans Nichols, told them they would be joined by volleyball. He could have entered the three as individuals in the events, and looked at the team scores, but Nichols said the NAIA was concerned about that, even though his solution was not accepted. His players seem, well…

“To be honest,” said Nichols, “they seemed upset.”

Addy?

“My first thought was: This is not good,” she said.

“This is not an embarrassment to our program that we're bringing in someone who can't play golf and we're playing a college game, but just like we didn't get someone else?”

Smith had played once before, just nine holes, and thought he shot 200. Maja Brodzinska, her volleyball partner, previously played for an hour, then two days for Reinhardt in early March. The weeks leading up to what felt like a mid-year cram session, only in this case, you hadn't been to class all semester and the material was written in something Martian-like. Command? Buffet style, as it is here everythingbut eventually you may be full. In one practice round, Brodzinska worked on the basics on the putting green with assistant Debbie Blount – in the middle of nine. No one believes in Reinhardt and her women's golf team like Blount, who joined the team five years ago — as a young 62-year-old. “He asked me the first time, he said, 'What did you put the ball in?'” Blount said. “I said, 'A child?' He said, 'Oh, tee, tee.' He said, 'I don't have any of that.'” Whatever. Blount gave Brodzinska his clubs; Smith was given a set that had been donated to the school several years ago.

Brodzinska tournament came.

He shot a 204, 132-over par.

The next day, he shot a 172, 100-over. Progress. He took pictures.

But after a few weeks, he had to return home, to Poland. Smith was summoned, to a conference of all places. In the first group, he prayed. Smith does that. Back in late December, he did, and it had to be heard. How else can you describe him asking to feel unexpected, and the top golfer giving him tee times? “I want to be uncomfortable as I get older,” Smith said. “I long for uncomfortable situations because I know they will push me to think about things, talk to different people. Think about how I'm going to deal with it. So it's very stressful, and it's not comfortable, but it's very exciting, and it's something that I say every day, 'Oh, I don't know how I'm going to go tomorrow.'

Or his shots. Why pray in the first hole?

On the conference side, his driver was doing well.

“No one knew why,” Smith said. “Coach was saying, 'I don't know why. The swing looks good. The head is turning the right way. I don't know what's going on.' So I said, 'Dear Lord, please don't let this ball go to the right.' I was literally sitting there thinking the whole time.

“And I swung to the right. And that made me very angry.”

On the first hole, he made an 8. 12 followed. Five followed; hey, that's a double bogey. Then it's 21; that's a septendecuple bogey. Or more. Whatever, he thought. He finished. It was a game. Finish the holes, then improve on the next round and the round after that, especially that fourth hole. “I knew I was going to have to do the same thing tomorrow,” Smith said. “And if I wanted to be better tomorrow, I had to finish today at least.

“And then I ended up – I remember counting exactly because this hole was so annoying. I got it in 11 strokes the next day. And then on the last day, I got it in seven. So I was very happy with that.”

This, too.

Afterwards, he learned that his teammates were trying to guess what he was going to shoot. The number was 185.

Smith shot 184.

Then 167 in the second round.

Then 160 in the third round.

“So I said, 'Hmph.' So we got the points,” said Smith.

“And I got 184. Boom, boom. I beat everybody's bet.”

He laughed. The question is what would his colleagues have done he are you doing?

If you think about it another way, would the golfers be able to play volleyball, if Reinhardt's volleyball team was in the same position?

Maybe now, following Smith and following Brodzinska. Perhaps there is beauty in 295-over par. Better than zero. You started, you finished and you came back wanting to shoot 294-over, which is what golf is all about, right?

If not more than golf.

295-over par in a college event?

Here is the inspiring story behind it.

“One of the things I've tried to take away from the whole volleyball experience is that the game is not about you. It's so much more than the sport,” Smith said. “And after all this is over, it doesn't matter anymore.

“I talked to one of the girls on the team about that. She was beating herself up and I was like, you know, your score is not who you are. You're more than that. You have a lot of qualities that aren't tied to golf. And I have to tell a lot of the girls on the volleyball team that, because it's the same thing. The same mentality.

“I even have to remind myself at the end of the day, if I have a bad game. I'm beyond this game. And this game doesn't last forever.”

With Smith's driver, the club has been hitting well. He dropped it after the first hole. A few other clubs, too. He finished with a putter, wedge, and 7-iron.

And that 4-hybrid.

They feel so much better.

They will be holding new items soon. Smith is still young after all.

Spring golf is one year away.

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