All Access: Flack brings in love for sports, golf
When it comes to having a unique sporting resume, it might be hard to find one quite like sophomore golfer Kevin Flack’s.
Golf is mostly an individual sport but Flack grew up playing a lot of different sports that involved teamwork.
He also played one sport that one wouldn’t think a golfer would participate in.
“I just love to compete,” Flack said. “I grew up living on the slopes of Chestnut Mountain [in Galena] on their ski race team. I’ve also played baseball, basketball, and football. My competitive nature has definitely carried over to the golf course.”
While he loved other sports, he ran into one problem with some of them.
“Being as little as I was, I quit playing football because I didn’t want to get hurt for the basketball and baseball seasons, which were my loves at the time,” Flack said. “So I decided to try golf and have loved it ever since.”
Flack still plays basketball with his friends when he is not playing golf.
He also likes to relax and have a good time with his friends and watch the Cubs beat the Cardinals, Flack said.
When it comes to golf, though, he tries to be at the top of his game and has to deal with the oddities of the weather, which can always affect his shots more than any sport he has played.
“This time of the year, the weather can play a huge factor on the golf course from day to day,” Flack said. “It makes it difficult to control the ball and bad weather really separates the good players from the average players.”
One of the reasons Flack decided to come to Eastern was because he believed head coach Mike Moncel could elevate his game to the next level.
“Coach Moncel was the main reason [I am here],” Flack said. “He seemed like an awesome guy, and with college athletics, a coach can make or break your experience.”
He has only seen limited action this season but has already improved over last season when he was a freshman.
Last season his best individual performance was his tie for 35th at the Butler Invitational.
This season, in only his second appearance on the golf course, he finished 18th of 73 participants at the Western Illinois Invitational. His low this season for a round is 70.
Flack does have big aspirations for life after college.
“My dream is to continue playing golf professionally… you only live once so I’m going to do everything I can do to chase that dream,” Flack said.
If that does not work out, he isn’t really sure what he wants to do but he is pursuing a degree in business marketing.
Dion Martorano can be reached at 581-7944 or dmmartorano@eiu.edu.
