Golf at Chico State is a team sport. And the student-athletes that make up the team are just that—athletes. 
 
The 2018-19 men's team is led by Chico State golf alumni and third-year head coach Nick Green, who values the word "athlete" immensely. The Wildcats' coach, who played golf at Chico State from 2003–2007, grew up being recruited for both golf and basketball in high school. Ultimately, he was slightly undersized and said, "I was tired of getting my ankles taped and always wearing a knee brace." 
 
Still, Green values athleticism in his golfers. His roster for the NCAA Championship South Central/West Super Regional—Serge Kiriluk, Josh McCollum, Kelley Sullivan, Jordan Oliver, and Christopher Colla—illustrates that. 

 

"I have a bunch of athletes and so I try to let them trust their instincts—be athletes in the golf world," Green said. "You know a lot of people get too caught up in mechanics and overthinking things but if you can be athletic while you're playing golf it's going to benefit you."
 
Green's team features athletes that took divergent journeys that led them to the Chico State golf program.
 
Sullivan is the team's most "traditional" golfer, according to Green. The senior from Sammamish, Washington, has been carrying around golf clubs since he was strong enough to carry them. For Kiriluk and McCollum, golf was just a hobby growing up. The two players have starred in a multitude of sports.
 
McCollum competed in basketball, soccer and baseball in high school, all while believing baseball was his true calling. McCollum's little league baseball team competed in the West Regional Final in the Little League World Series. A few years later, his Henderson, Nevada, high school team won the state title. For McCollum, golf during those years was nothing more than a hobby and a good way to spend time with his grandfather.
 
"Growing up since I was four, I mean everything I did was baseball," McCollum said. "My dad always coached me and always pushed me to work as hard as I could at it. I love the game. I envisioned myself trying to play baseball professionally. But I always just liked to do other things to be an athlete. And I think that helped me love baseball so much."
 
McCollum grew up as a UCLA fan playing shortstop and third base. The right hander had visions of playing for the Bruins or at nearby College of Southern Nevada, where Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper starred.
 
However, just before McCollum's sophomore season at Liberty High School, he began to feel a pain in his right arm. An MRI showed a torn labrum. Still able to hit, he opted to play the season at first base and designated hitter while delaying the surgery until the offseason. Nine months later, McCollum was ready to go both physically and mentally.
 
"Rehab was tough mentally, a lot tougher than physically. Physically I was fine after five months. When I finally got over that mental hurdle my arm was actually stronger than it had ever been before."
 
McCollum set his sights on junior year, hoping to impress scouts and college coaches. His senior year, what he thought was his worst nightmare was realized. McCollum dove headfirst sliding into third base and felt the pop. McCollum knew instantly he had torn his labrum once again. He could still hit pain free but could not throw.

 
He turned down offers to play collegiately as a designated hitter. McCollum loved all the facets of the game too much and could not imagine specializing in just one. McCollum told them he was hanging up his cleats. 
 
Next, he told his dad he still wanted to be a collegiate athlete. He wanted to be a golfer, even if that meant taking a year off. So that's what he did. While living with his grandparents in Orange County, McCollum spent 8–12 hours a day on the golf course they lived on. Golf gave him a fresh focus.
 
"I worked on short game harder than anything," McCollum said. "I always knew I could hit it far. That comes from baseball. I knew I could learn how to hit it straight, but if I wanted to be really good and be able to score, inside of a hundred yards, I wanted to be deadly."
 
After a year playing at Creighton and a year at Orange Coast Community College, McCollum was on his way to Chico. One of the that drew Green to McCollum was his multi-sport history and level of competitiveness. 
 
Green believes a strong team concept and the ability to bond with teammates is important.

"You have to push aside your own (scores) sometimes, maybe even if you have a chance of winning a tournament," Green said. "You may be close and want to hit a riskier shot that might benefit you but in the long run doesn't really help the team if you don't make it. You have to have the team concept first."
 
Green also mentioned how golfers who have not come from a multi-sport background that demands year-round commitment often experience burnout during the nine-month collegiate season.
 
McCollum's teammate and fellow senior Kiriluk grew up playing his share of sports as well, and like McCollum dealt with injuries. However, unlike McCollum, Kiriluk left the game before injuries got too severe.
 
"Football was my life," Kiriluk said. "I never missed a game for an injury ever in my whole life, but I was always injured though."
 
The Sonora Union High School product played basketball and wrestled all while starring for his school's football team as a middle linebacker, fullback, kicker, and backup quarterback. His senior football season at Sonora, he was named the league's MVP.
 
Kiriluk first remembers hitting the driving range in fourth grade with a good family friend, playing just for fun. It wasn't until high school when golf became competitive.
 

His freshman year, one of his older brother's favorite teachers was the golf coach and encouraged him to come out for the team. After some summer practice, he joined. 
 
But that's not what really convinced him.
 
"The smell of fresh cut grass in the morning. Nothing like playing a morning round, it's sunny out, it's not too hot, not too cold, just being out there with your friends or practicing with your teammates in the mornings. Nothin' better."
 
His junior year, Kiriluk turned his focus to golf during his junior year and almost chose not to play football as a senior.
 
"I was starting to make pretty good bounds in golf and thinking about going to college and playing golf and not injuring myself anymore," Kiriluk said.
 
After four years of competition with the Wildcats, Kiriluk plans to join Coach Green as an assistant coach in his final year as an undergraduate next season.
 
Green said that part of the reason he recruits these athletes rather than a specific skill set is their level of competitiveness and their will to win. 
 
"You know they want to be coming down to the last couple of holes with a chance to win or help the team win," Green said. "You get that a lot from people who have experience playing a high-level competitive sport."
 
This year's senior class is not short on competitiveness. The group that follows will get a taste of that with Green and Kiriluk on the coaching staff.
 
"I've always been a super competitor," Kiriluk said. "Like, there's no way this guy's beating me. I'm not going to lose for my teammates … no one's going to beat me. I think it's just being super competitive."
 
The Wildcats hope to use that competitive fire during this week's Super Regional and earn a chance to compete again one more time this season—this time at the NCAA Championship Finals.