For Baron Folk, the biggest key to this season has been finding the balance between enjoying the game and competing at a high level.
“My main focus this season was to go have fun but be competitive at the same time,” Folk said. “I wanted to be more consistent throughout the season. The last couple of years my game was kind of all over the place. I feel like this year I have been pretty consistent.”
That consistency has not come by accident. Folk said his increased commitment to practice has started to show up on the scorecard, helping him take the next step in his development.
“Some things I wanted to improve on would be more consistent,” Folk said. “I’ve practiced now more than I ever have and now I’m starting to see my scores go down.”
One of Folk’s biggest strengths has been his ability to stay mentally composed during a round. Instead of allowing one difficult hole to impact the rest of his performance, he focuses on moving forward and staying confident.
“My strengths, I feel like I do pretty well when I have a bad hole and move on from it,” Folk said. “I know there are plenty more holes to play.”
That mindset has helped Folk maintain a steadier approach throughout the season and given him confidence heading into postseason play.
As regionals approach, Folk knows the challenge ahead will not be easy, but he believes Iola has the potential to compete with anyone if the team stays focused on its own performance.
“If we made it to state as a team, I think that would be awesome,” Folk said. “We have a tough regional with a lot of good teams, but we can’t look at it like that. We have to go out and play our game and see what happens.”
