Niclas Carlsson sits studying while having a break during one of the many golf tournaments he plays throughout the year, determined to meet the goals he set academically and athletically.
"I try to balance school and golf," Carlsson said. "But it's tough, especially during tournaments. My freshman year was definitely a learning experience."
Adapting to life at Auburn was challenging considering the distance from his home in Sweden and the need to adapt to a new, more humid environment while playing golf, but Carlsson was able to make the best of his freshman year. He did well in school and played well enough in golf to be awarded All-Region, an honor that is only earned by the top 25 players in the South.
Two other Auburn athletes, sophomores Blayne Barber and Michael Hebert, were honored with the same award. This is the first time that three Auburn undergraduates received this award, and head coach Nick Clinard said he takes this as a good sign for the future of the program.
"These days the kids come out of high school now, and they're all working out, they're all eating right," Clinard said. "The kids coming in are going to be just as good as the seniors if we recruit right."
Carlsson said he is also very excited about the upcoming year, setting his sights to even greater victories for the Auburn golf team in the years to come.
"I am very excited for next year as a team since I think we will be even better," Carlsson said. "We lose no one from this season, and we picked up some very strong recruits who have the chance to contribute immediately. I think if we do our thing, we will have a good chance of pushing for a national title."
Carlsson's confidence is well-deserved, especially considering the number of tournaments he has been involved in, even before his time at Auburn. According to assistant coach Evan Osteen, Carlsson competed at the highest level in Europe on both the amateur level and the junior amateur level while he was still just in high school.
"Niclas is a young man who loves competition, and he was very successful," Osteen said. "It all just goes back to his work ethic and his attitude. It's not a surprise at all when Nic does very well. He expects a lot of himself, and he's a hard worker."
Because Auburn's golf team plays during spring and fall semesters, a good work ethic is necessary. But, the team does not take a break over the summer. Carlsson is playing in tournaments all over Europe, including Spain, Sweden and Germany.
"Summer is the time that you get better too, because you don't have school to worry about," Clinard said. "You can be focused strictly on golf and your workouts and things like that. It's a time that you need to make improvements."
With the golf team training to improve even more over the summer, it's safe to say that great things can be expected from them next season. Osteen said he has high hopes for the team as well, and he is glad to see team members like Carlsson be so successful.
"The guys have worked very hard," Osteen said. "They've done everything we asked. They have great attitudes great work ethics, but more importantly they're great people, and that's why it's so great to see them do so well.
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