New Season, Same Goals for Jason Buliga
Jason Buliga on the golf course - CKSN.ca File Photo
We’ve all felt the spring weather creeping in day by day, but for local golfers including Chatham’s Jason Buliga, the spring itch to get back on the links is in full force.
Buliga, who is entering his sophomore year at Carl Sandburg College in Illinois, is coming off a strong freshman season as a member of the school’s varsity golf team, in which he said he learned much about being a student-athlete,
“I learned a lot of new things about playing at a higher level,” said Buliga, who is studying Business in Economics, “The travel schedule is demanding being on the road every week Thursday through Sunday, staying up on your school work is crucial. I think as I progress as a student-athlete things will only get better. Overall I have become much more consistent with my game, and I’m really looking forward to our conference matches this spring.”
For Buliga and his teammates, the spring season begins the second week of March at Goose Pond Colony Golf Course in Scottsboro, Alabama. Last year, Buliga shot a low score of 72 at the Knox County Am and collected a season average of 75.2. His Carl Sandburg team also won championships at the Highland 36 and Sandburg Classic.
Despite his successes on the course last season, Buliga is focused on moving forward, and getting better with each round he plays,
“My focus heading into the season will be to keep improving every day and to really make that next step as a golfer.”
In the end, college golf is also a team game, and Buliga believes his Carl Sandburg team also has the ability to do big things this season collectively,
“As a team we are looking to win our Conference, it’s well within our reach,” said Buliga.
The move from his home course, the Links of Kent in Chatham, and the Burger King Tour as a teen, hasn’t come without some speed bumps for Buliga however, as the commitment needed to reach the next level is unlike any challenge the young golfer has faced in his career,
“I think the biggest challenge with moving down here to play collegiate golf has been the adjustment to the level of commitment. It’s very demanding. If we are not practising we’re playing in a tournament, or we’re in the fitness centre. During season it’s all about time management skills, having to balance class with practice and studying.”
It’s all a learning curve for Buliga, both on the course and off, but with every drive, and every putt, he’s working toward his dream, and playing the sport he loves. If everything goes as planned, Buliga will soon be moving up the golfing ranks on an even bigger stage,
“I’m looking to transfer to an NCAA Division I institution after I’m done here at Sandburg,” explained Buliga about his golf goals. “I believe my talent is at a pretty high level now, my biggest thing is to improve consistency and play a full 18-holes day in and day out. That’s why the players on the PGA tour are so good, consistency.”