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University of North Carolina Athletics
Q&A With Dalinka & Do
May 14, 2015 | Men's Golf
Q&A with Carolina Men's Golfers Brandon Dalinka and Henry Do
Compiled by Helen Morgan
What do you think will be your biggest challenge in the NCAA Regional?
Dalinka: It's a solid field. We've got 13 or 14 teams inside the top 50, which is probably the strongest field we have played against all year. I think just staying focused, even though this is our home course, and focusing on each round and shot and playing the way we are supposed to be playing is the most important.
Do: Just staying focused. It is our home course and we play here so much that you can just get over your shots and not really think, because usually rounds out here are not as meaningful so we just have to make sure we take each shot individually and focus in on what's at stake.
What do you think will be your greatest strength in the NCAA Regional?
Dalinka: Our greatest strength is definitely our home course advantage. We see this course every day so we know the breaks, we know where we need to miss it, we know where we need to hit it and that's a huge advantage over other teams who have only seen this course once or twice.
Do: We won here in the fall by a large margin. Having the confidence to go out there and shoot good scores and knowing how to play the course and making putts in the end and making a lot of birdies will be our strength.
Do you have a favorite hole on this course?
Dalinka: All the par fives are kind of good for us. That's where you make the birdies and that's where you take advantage of knowing the course and knowing where to hit it.
What do you do to prepare on the day of a match or tournament?
Do: Just try to relax and get each other pumped up for the tournament. It's just kind of a normal day for us.
Dalinka: We've got a pretty loose team so we're all with each other warming up and hanging out and then when we get ready to go we get in the zone and take care of business.
You've had a good season this year. What does that do for your confidence level coming into this tournament?
Dalinka: It's definitely good. When you play well you get confidence, you know that you are capable of shooting good scores. This is a game of confidence and obviously when your confidence is high, you're going to play really well and when your confidence is low, you have to figure out a way to get your confidence back, whether it's just seeing your ball go in the hole or seeing a couple of good shots.
Do: Confidence is a big thing. We finished in the top half of the field in basically every tournament this season and it's been a great season so far. Having the confidence each week knowing that we have a chance to win is a boost.
What do you do to stay mentally focused in a match, especially during a big tournament?
Do: I'd say just relax. Especially when there's a lot of people out here and a lot of fans will be cheering for UNC. Being at home, knowing the course, is definitely one way to relax and take your mind off of the situation and play good golf.
Dalkinka: I think also you have to realize that the tournament is 54 holes. You could have one or two bad holes on a certain day but there's still so many holes left. You've got to look at the big picture instead of focusing on where you messed up.
What does it mean for you to be playing your home course in the upcoming tournament?
Dalinka: We are so lucky to host this tournament. We've been to one regional since I've been here (at Arizona State) and we are so fortunate to be able to host, especially in my senior season. We've just got to take the opportunity and take advantage of it.
Do: This is my first regional, but going off the win in the fall and having the opportunity to play on our home course is obviously a great advantage and it's going to be a fun week.
What are your personal goals for the tournament and how has the team prepared for this tournament?
Do: My personal goals are just to play as well as I can and shoot low scores and get five good scores each day from the guys. We are looking to finish in the top five (to advance), that's our goal as a team. Playing each round solid and with confidence, and just playing the way we are supposed to play.
Dalinka: I think a good goal for us is to be in the final group on the last day. If we're in the final group on the last day then we'll have a chance to win. If we have a chance to win then we're going to make it to the NCAAs. If we have the mindset of winning this tournament then we should be able to get into the top 5.
What do you most enjoy about playing golf at Carolina?
Dalinka: The guys on the team are great. We get along really well and we're lucky to have a great group of guys here. The golf course is awesome; we're so lucky and fortunate that we have this opportunity.
Do: We have great coaches, a great practice facility, and a great golf course to practice on every day, and as he said earlier we have a great group of guys who get along real well and stay relaxed and just fool around most of the time, which is great for a team.
Do you have a favorite club?
Dalinka: For me it's my driver. That's probably my best club.
Do: I don't really have a favorite club, to be honest. Whatever goes the straightest.
What knowledge will you take away from your experience in playing in the NCAA regionals last year?
Dalinka: I've had problems in the past with knowing you have to do something and making that your goal. In the last tournament I learned that from a team standpoint, we have to try and win the tournament. Last time we were thinking 'top five, top five' and on the last day we were like in the top seven. We were right around the top 5 number but we couldn't quite get there. But if we think about winning the tournament like we have all year this year, we're not going to have a problem finishing in the top five. If we go out there and understand this, then we have a good chance to do this.
Players Mentioned
