Golfer getting better

Junior Ben Davidson was the first player that IU men's golf coach Mike Mayer ever recruited.\n"When I first recruited Ben, I thought I had the all-time coup," Mayer said.\nWith the prep credentials of Davidson, a graduate of Southport High School in Indianapolis, it would have been hard to second-guess Mayer's exuberance over bringing him to IU. Davidson was named all-state all four years of high school and held school records for lowest single-round (67) and lowest single-season average (73).\nIn his first two seasons at IU, Davidson played in a total of 18 rounds for a 76.7 average. This year, Davidson has played more than he did in the rest of his career combined with a total of 23 rounds. He has lowered his average down to 75.1. So what gives?\n Mayer attributes Davidson's emergence as the second-best scorer on the team to a change in attitude.\n"He's always had a sound game," Mayer said. "His swing isn't any different; his attitude is different. He's been having a lot of fun playing golf, and that's the difference."\nMayer said that poor practice habits hampered Davidson's ability to live up to his potential during his freshman and sophomore years. Davidson is the first to admit that his coach's criticism hits the mark.\n"I have lacked practice skills in the past," Davidson said.\nThe turning point of Davidson's career occurred when Mayer suspended him from the team for disciplinary reasons last spring. \n"I dislike having to take disciplinary action, but I needed to send a wake up call to him," Mayer said.\nDavidson received the call loud and clear, and realized what he needed to do to better fulfill his role as a team member.\n"I didn't want the last two years (of my career) to go by without making an impact," Davidson said.\nSo Davidson set to work by playing in several tournaments across Indiana over the summer. While he did not play up to the level that he wanted to over the summer, Davidson received further inspiration when a bumper crop of freshman golfers greeted him upon his return to Bloomington this fall.\n"With three freshmen coming in (Jeff Overton, Heath Peters, Rob Ockenfuss), I wanted to prove myself and not lose my spot in the lineup," Davidson said. "I had more of a will to want to be the best."\nDavidson also hoped to help fill in the void left by the graduation of his friend and mentor Steve Wheatcroft, who led the Hoosiers with a 72.8 average in the 2000-01 season.\nDavidson has tried to fulfill the leadership skills passed on to him by Wheatcroft.\n"When I played bad, he helped me get my confidence back and told me what to do when I am struggling," Davidson said.\nAs a junior in a lineup that often features three freshmen, Davidson knows that his teammates and coaches look upon him to function as a leader on the course. \n"I haven't played a lot the past two years, but I've been through enough to know what to do," Davidson said.\nWheatcroft, who still talks to Davidson regularly, is impressed by the maturity that the junior has developed.\n"It's a lot to ask of a junior to step up and fill a role left by a (graduated) senior," Wheatcroft said. "He leads by putting up good scores."\nMayer sees flashes of Wheatcroft's competitive spirit embodied in Davidson, and hopes that Davidson will move even closer to the work ethic of Wheatcroft.\n"No one (I've coached) has worked harder than Steve," Mayer said.\nDavidson is excited about the way that the team is playing right now, and believes that the future will be bright for the Hoosiers. He thinks the team can compete for a Big Ten title this season if it continues their current pace. Davidson is also optimistic about what next year will hold for IU.\n"If I practice a lot over the summer, we have a darn good chance to win the Big Ten next year…we can be a Top 25 or 30 team in the nation," Davidson said.