Jonathan Elkins’ collegiate debut took a bit longer than planned, but the South Deerfield resident finally got back to playing competitive golf last week.
The Villanova University freshman made his debut at the Donald Ross Collegiate Classic at Mid Pines Golf Club in North Carolina last week, donning the Wildcats logo for the first time after the school’s fall season was canceled due to COVID-19.
It was a long time coming for Elkins, who graduated from Taft School (Conn.) last spring. After only being able to practice during the fall and winter seasons at Villanova, his debut was delayed even further this spring when he was forced to sit out three weeks after contracting COVID-19. He missed the season-opening tournament in Savannah, Ga., but was cleared to travel to North Carolina and compete in the second tournament of the year.
“I was pretty ready to go to Savannah and gearing up pretty good when I got the call that I wasn’t going,” he recalled. “It was kind of a bummer. I felt like I was in the best shape of my life and then I got sick and it just wiped me out. I couldn’t do much of anything and I felt like a lot of that strength I had built up was all of a sudden gone.”
He was thrilled to get the call that he had been cleared for competition, however, and he said he found out three days prior to the season’s second event that he was on the squad.
“I hadn’t played a round of golf since Halloween so the practice round (the day before the event) was the first time I had hit a ball outside in five months,” he said. “I knew I’d be rusty but felt like I’d be able to play OK.”
It was a marathon two days of golf for Elkins and the Wildcats. He played 54 holes over the course of those two days, ultimately tying for 58th place with rounds of 81, 78 and 77. After an uneven start to the event, he played his final 23 holes in 3-over par.
“I’m never gonna complain about a stretch of golf like that,” he said. “I went in with a different mindset than normal, was trying to grind out pars and that’s never really going to work in a college event. I’m pleased with the way I rebounded after that start.”
Villanova finished 12th as a team at the event, which was won by Loyola Maryland. UNC-Greensboro took second and Richmond nabbed third place as a team.
Elkins said one big change in collegiate golf this year comes in the pairings, as teammates will be grouped together instead of traditional mixed foursomes with members of other teams.
“That whole aspect is being completely overlooked in college golf right now,” he explained, noting the difficulties that can come in watching teammates struggle.
Next up for Elkins and the Wildcats is a home tournament on March 27. The Big East Championships are scheduled for April 30-May 2.