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04/29/2021 12:00 AMJason Cohen is leading the Morgan boys’ golf team as its lone senior captain and the top player on the squad this spring. Jason prides himself on being mentally prepared every time he hits the links, and that approach has proved hugely beneficial during his four-year career with the Huskies.
“The mental side of the game has to be my favorite. Many people think that going up there and hitting a golf ball is all the game is, and it’s far from that,” Jason says. “Being able to hit the ball well means nothing if you’re not locked in on the next shot you’re hitting and your confidence is down. Moving on from a poor shot you may have hit and living in the present on the course is so important, and I feel that is one of the strong spots of my game.”
Jason started golfing at age six and was competing in tournaments by the 3rd grade. In 4th grade, Jason’s family moved to Colorado for two years and lived right by a golf course, so he was able to play whenever he pleased.
All the time that Jason spent working on his golf game is paying tremendous dividends. In the last two years, Jason has improved his handicap from a 15 to a 4.
“My favorite moment has to be thinking back to these last few years as a whole and how much I have improved my game,” says Jason. “Two years ago, I was around a 15 handicap and golf was fun, but I knew how much more fun it would be if I improved my game. These past couple years, I’ve worked very hard in the summer and got my handicap down to about a 4. Doing this has made playing golf so fun in that knowing I can score really low and compete with the best.”
One of the unique aspects of Jason’s game is the way that he trains. Last summer, Jason played a round of golf each day and hit would two or three shots from every location on the course.
“These past few years is when I really got the bug to improve my game,” Jason says. “While going to the driving range, chipping green, and putting green are big parts of improvement—and I do those a lot—I have found the most fun during my improvement has been going out and playing. I feel that hitting from on the course, where there’s different elevations, wind, and other challenges, is much more beneficial than going on the range for a couple courses and hitting balls to a few targets.”
Head Coach Eric Bergman feels pleased with the way that Jason is performing this year. Bergman describes Jason as a steady leader and a cerebral golfer for Morgan.
“Jason is a quiet and composed leader,” says Bergman. “He exemplifies what is best about the game of golf: modesty, self-reflection, and an understated desire to improve both as a player and as an individual.”
The Morgan golf squad has moved up from Division IV to Division III for the 2021 season. Jason wants to help the Huskies qualify for the Division III State Championship, while also turning in a quality performance at the Shoreline Conference Championship. From a personal perspective, Jason is looking to earn both All-Conference and All-State honors.
“We have been Division IV since our golf team was created and, while moving up to Division III will make it a little harder, I still feel confident that I can make it,” says Jason. “For the team, our expectations would to definitely be one of the top-three teams in the Shoreline. We have a relatively young team with a lot of talent and, this year, as well as future years, this team has a lot of potential to be successful.”
Jason is hoping that the Huskies can make it through the season unscathed and without any delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Jason wants to play the entirety of the campaign alongside his Morgan teammates on the golf course.
“Playing through the pandemic itself doesn’t worry me, but being a close contact in school does. Having to be quarantined, miss two weeks, and possibly not be eligible for the All Shoreline and All-State teams with the missed matches would be heartbreaking,” Jason says. “This is something that is out of my control, and it would stink to have to miss time, both for myself and for the team. All I can do is be as safe and spread out from people as much as possible.”