Ryan Voois, a member of Tesoro High School’s golf team, is continuing his athletic and academic journey at the University of Illinois next Fall. While Voois loves the big school vibe and its college town feel, he is also excited to play for Fighting Illini golf coach, Mike Small.
“As far as coaches go in college, I believe he’s as good as it gets,” says Voois. “They just won their sixth straight Big Ten Championship; that’s their 11th in 12 years.”
Voois is coming off two strong individual tournament wins - the 2021 Inland Empire Amateur in September and the 2021 Agave Amateur in late December. In the weeks leading up to the Inland Empire tournament, he was playing some of his best golf. Then suddenly, the week before tee off, Voois recalls his game completely falling off.
“Golf is a really mental game,” adds Voois. “I mean if you can control the mental and stay positive – easier said than done – you have a much better chance at success.” The night before the next round, Voois worked with his mental coach, John Ellsworth, who reminded him of the importance of controlling the controllables.
After a lackluster but not out-of-it first round, Voois added the help of his good friend and fellow Tesoro golf teammate, Chase Goetschel, as caddy. With calmed nerves and a buddy at his side, Voois points out, “I had my best round of the year… just everything was working.”
Even when he’s not in competition, Voois is always working to improve his golf game. Focusing on his four facets to practice - putting, chipping, swing, and playing on the course – he tries to limit each section to an hour to avoid getting frustrated. “So I'll putt for an hour; I'll chip for an hour. I'll hit for an hour,” Voois explains, “and then I'll go out and play nine holes.”
While golf makes attending all necessary school classes difficult, Voois maintains an extremely impressive 4.8 GPA. He encourages student athletes to develop relationships with other people, who can help fill you in on what is missed. “You have to get the notes and the homework,” says Voois, “And you're probably going to need help if you missed the lesson.”
While Voois found his passion on the golf course, he knows it's not for everyone. “Get exposure to a bunch of different sports,” Voois suggests, “and a lot of times, you'll just step on to the court or the course, and something will just click.
“But you have to do what you like to do,” says Voois. “You're never going to be good at something if you don't like to do it because it takes a lot of practice.”
Voois does not plan on his golfing journey stopping any time soon, and he’s confident Illinois is the best place for him to flourish and develop into a professional golfer. Whether on the golf course, in the classroom, or out in the world, Voois is recognized by both his peers and competitors as humble and dedicated. He’s a class act, and he’s going places. Watch for Ryan Voois!
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