SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Austin Jordan is riding an unbelievable streak on the golf course for the University of the Incarnate Word and he is ranked #13 in the nation according to GolfStat, but it was not always that way for the senior business administration major from Rainbow, Texas.

Jordan was a very good player for the Cardinals as both a freshman and sophomore.  He posted a 76.3 scoring average as a freshman and then was the team's best player as a sophomore with a 74.2 scoring average that included a 16^th place finish at the NCAA Division II Super Regional.

Expectations were that Jordan was going to continue on his progression in his junior year.  However, as tends to happen in life, things did not pan out that way.  The death of his best friend from high school and his grandfather within a few months of each other took his focus away from the game.  "I had some personal family deaths that kind of affect you mentally," said Jordan.  "It took a little bit of time to get over that and be able to focus on golf again.  If your head is not focused on what you are doing then you are not going to do well."

Jordan says that there was not one specific moment that got him back on the right track, but it was just time.  "I think I was just fed up with playing bad," he said.

There was not a single moment that really changed things, but there was a tournament that seemed to flip the switch for Jordan.  After being held out of the starting lineup for two straight tournaments for the first time in his career, he played well at The Classic at The Tribute tournament to close out the Fall of 2013.  He finished at 5-under par and in the top-10 for the first time of the 2013-14 season.  He took that feeling and ran with it in the Spring posting three more top-10 finishes and nearly had the team's best stroke average.  He lost out to Austin Wylie, 74.75 to 74.79.

This Fall, Jordan has been spectacular with three runner-up finishes and a fourth place finish where he was just one shot out of a tie for first place in his four tournaments.  He has posted six sub-par rounds of the 10 he has played and he set a school record with a 7-under par 65 in his last round of the semester that would have been a stroke better if he had not bogeyed his final hole.  He has a 69.90 scoring average that would shatter his own school scoring record by over four strokes per round.

While he has been playing outstanding golf, Jordan is frustrated by the fact that he has not been able to break through with a win.  "The goal for every tournament is to win," he said.  "It's kind of frustrating to finish second each time."

He is hoping that the experience he has gained this semester will pay off in the Spring with some victories.  Jordan has said one of the keys for him this year is that he is hitting more green which means fewer opportunities for bad holes.

For those not familiar with collegiate golf, there are no leaderboards and the top players are not always paired together at tournaments.  The pairings for each round are determined by where a team sits in the standings and not an individual golfer.  Jordan has never been paired with any of the players who have beaten him this year.

Even though he is ranked 13^th in the nation among all NCAA Division I players this year, Jordan will not have the opportunity to take play at the national championship tournament because UIW is still in the probationary period of joining Division I so no athletes or teams are eligible for national competitions until 2017-18.

Jordan's goals for the Spring include getting back on the winner's stand for himself and as a team.  He is particularly looking forward to the April 6-7 tournament hosted by Seattle University at Chambers Bay Golf Club, the site of the 2015 U.S. Open.  When questioned about his future in golf after this year, he said that he wanted to focus on the Spring before looking forward.  However, he intimated that he would be pursuing a career as a professional.

If a professional career does not work out for Jordan, he is still going to be successful in life.  He is set to graduate from UIW in May with a degree in business administration and he has a 3.92 grade point average.  His advice for young golfers and one that he employs himself is to be persistent with practicing, don't get down on yourself and strive for improvement.  Three things that will help with your golf game as well as life.

Jordan has weathered the storms that life can bring and come out on the other side of things.  His final Spring with the Cardinals will be one to watch, but probably not the last time he will be playing competitive golf.
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