Goodwin finds focus among the chaos
Alex Riley, Special to SMUMustangs.com
3/5/2021
DALLAS – Noah Goodwin knows it is cliché. Yet, there is truly no other way to describe his current frame of mind.
As the world grapples with the realities of the ongoing pandemic, the SMU golfer has chosen to take a step back, collect his thoughts and appreciate where he is.
Worrying about what lies ahead might’ve been something he once did. Not anymore.
“I’m really just enjoying the moment I’m in and I’m trying not to look to the future too much. I’m kind of in the mindset of the present controls the future,” Goodwin said.
As the Mustangs prepare to host the Trinity Forest Invitational this weekend, Goodwin is savoring where he’s at currently compared to where he was not that long ago.
It’s up to you to put all the hard work in. It’s up to you to become as good as you can possibly be. And your size and anything like that has no effect on anything like that at all.Noah Goodwin
During his childhood, he battled growth hormone deficiency, which left him undersized early on. Nightly hormone injections until he was 16 were difficult to handle, but simply became part of his reality.
Golf served as his sanctuary, an even playing field where size could be outmatched by skill. It’s what drew him to the links and keeps him there to this day.
“It’s up to you to put all the hard work in. It’s up to you to become as good as you can possibly be. And your size and anything like that has no effect on anything like that at all,” Goodwin said. “Golfers come in all shapes and sizes and it’s just about your skills how you decide to attack the game. That was one of the things that I just originally fell in love about with golf that it was all on me.”
He arrived in Dallas as one of the top junior golfers in the country and quickly made an impact. Following a solid freshman year, he earned a spot at the U.S. Open thanks to the U.S. Junior Amateur Champion exemption. He followed that up with All-American honors as a sophomore (honorable mention) and junior (second team).
But, the success hasn’t come without struggles.
His first semester of college, Goodwin injured his left shoulder. His third semester, it was his right. He was looking forward to his first spring at 100 percent in 2020. COVID changed everything.
“That just kind of made me take a step back and realize anything can happen at any given moment in time,” Goodwin said. “I’m pleased with where my game is at, but I’m much more pleased with how I’m feeling about it. I’m just trying to take it one day at a time.”
Through two team events, Goodwin has recorded a pair of top 25 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the season-opening Southwestern Invitational back in late January. It was the first college golf event the Mustangs have taken part in since last March.
I’m pleased with where my game is at, but I’m much more pleased with how I’m feeling about it. I’m just trying to take it one day at a time.Noah Goodwin
Goodwin recognizes there are some things ahead to think about. Following the Trinity Forest Invitational at home, it’s a pair of extremely difficult tournaments with the Valspar Collegiate Invitational in Florida and The Goodwin in California. Both fields boast some of the best collegiate golf programs in the country. Then, it’ll be the American Athletic Conference Championship in Florida for a guaranteed spot in the NCAA regionals.
Staying healthy is also on his mind, as is meeting the standards needed to get into PGA Tour University.
All of that is very important. But what matters most is what’s happening right now. And that is his sole focus.
“I’m really just absolutely loving the moment that I’m in right now. I’m loving the team I have around me. I love just being able to come out and practice every day,” Goodwin said. “If I just keep going about it that way, I feel like all the results and everything will end up taking care of themselves.”
