SE: How a Vacation to the Middle East Set the Stage for Jacob Eklund’s Best Golf for K-State
Apr 07, 2019 | Men's Golf, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Jacob Eklund is playing the best golf of his life. It only took a month away from the game and thousands of miles from his clubs for it to start coming together.
The K-State junior shot a combined 11-under par in his last three tournaments, finishing seventh, tied for second and fifth to double his number of career top-10 finishes and record his first pair of top-five placements in the process.
A few months before, during winter break, Eklund went on a family vacation. This was no ordinary trip, either.
Eklund was gone for 31 days — the longest he can ever remember going without picking up a golf club. He started in Dubai. After a few days there, he got on a cruise in Abu Dhabi, also in the United Arab Emirates. The Carbondale, Illinois native spent the next few weeks bouncing around the Middle East, from Oman to a few stops along India's coast to Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore.
He visited a Ferrari amusement park, road camels through a desert and saw immaculate cities.
It was the trip of a lifetime, even for someone like Eklund, who's been fortunate enough to go on trips with his grandmother to Africa, South America, Russia and Europe.
"I think that was definitely the start of things," Eklund said of his trip. "I don't know if I've been able to put my clubs away for more than a week because I get the itch so bad. It was good for me. I wasn't able to touch a club. It wasn't a possibility for me, and it really reset the mental focus to be able to come out firing this spring."
When Eklund returned, he started to reshape his approach toward the game. A self-described perfectionist, he stopped getting so caught up in having the "perfect swing every time."
"It's just coming to realization that golf is a game of imperfection, and I know I'm not going to hit every shot perfect," Eklund said. "Just going out there and getting the most out of every single round, that's what I've been doing lately."
There were a few turning points along the way for Eklund.
On the course, he posted a 77 and 74 in the first two rounds at the Seminole Intercollegiate, hosted by Florida State, in late February. He was still adjusting to a swing change from the fall, and it showed. In the last round, however, he dropped in seven birdies toward a bittersweet 2-under par 70 to end the tournament tied for 42nd.
"I definitely had some mental mistakes," he said of the final round, "but I knew that things were starting to click."
Eklund's perfectionism took over afterward but in a more productive way.
The following week, he met with head coach Grant Robbins for about an hour. Eklund said he told Robbins he wanted to use every resource available to him — statistics, course knowledge, short game tips, anything to give him an edge.
"Whatever he can throw at me, I'm going to take," Eklund said. "I told him, 'I'm going to be in your office so much that you get tired of seeing me.'"
Robbins has not grown tired of it yet.
He said Eklund has matured greatly in the way he prepares and maintained the same work ethic he's always displayed. Now, he's just putting it to better use. For instance, Eklund has spent more time on his short game and less on the driving range. When he's on the range, it's been more about developing consistency, not perfection.
"Now that he's more consistent," Robbins said, "that's giving him more confidence."
Eklund's added confidence helped lead to career-low scores for 18 holes (66) and 54 holes (210) this spring. He recorded both at the Mission Inn Spring Spectacular in Florida, where his team won the program's first tournament since 2012 and he finished tied for second behind only his teammate Jeremy Gandon.
A week later, Eklund followed it with a team-best 2-under par 214 at the Tar Heel Invitational to finish fifth. In his eyes, this was another turning point because he did not have his "best stuff," especially in the first two rounds. But he grinded out a pair of 1-over par 73s and posted a 4-under par 68 to end it.
"In the past, maybe that first day would have been 75, 76," he said. "Now, I try to get the most out of every round."
As a result, K-State's getting the most out of Eklund. His last three tournament scores combine for the lowest total for a Wildcat in any three-tournament span since Mitchell Gregson — the program's leader for career scoring average — went 16-under par between three events in the 2008-09 season. This was also the last season K-State qualified as a team to an NCAA Regional, a goal this year's Wildcat team has in its sights.
It's a big reason why Eklund does not give his individual results and the accolades much thought. He said he's more preoccupied with how well his team has played alongside him, which includes three consecutive top-three finishes entering the Missouri Tiger Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday.
"It's me more putting the team ahead of myself," Eklund said. "It's a lot more important to see the team succeed than myself succeed. Whatever I can do to help the team is what I'm willing to do."
Jacob Eklund is playing the best golf of his life. It only took a month away from the game and thousands of miles from his clubs for it to start coming together.
The K-State junior shot a combined 11-under par in his last three tournaments, finishing seventh, tied for second and fifth to double his number of career top-10 finishes and record his first pair of top-five placements in the process.
A few months before, during winter break, Eklund went on a family vacation. This was no ordinary trip, either.
Eklund was gone for 31 days — the longest he can ever remember going without picking up a golf club. He started in Dubai. After a few days there, he got on a cruise in Abu Dhabi, also in the United Arab Emirates. The Carbondale, Illinois native spent the next few weeks bouncing around the Middle East, from Oman to a few stops along India's coast to Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore.
He visited a Ferrari amusement park, road camels through a desert and saw immaculate cities.
It was the trip of a lifetime, even for someone like Eklund, who's been fortunate enough to go on trips with his grandmother to Africa, South America, Russia and Europe.
"I think that was definitely the start of things," Eklund said of his trip. "I don't know if I've been able to put my clubs away for more than a week because I get the itch so bad. It was good for me. I wasn't able to touch a club. It wasn't a possibility for me, and it really reset the mental focus to be able to come out firing this spring."
When Eklund returned, he started to reshape his approach toward the game. A self-described perfectionist, he stopped getting so caught up in having the "perfect swing every time."
"It's just coming to realization that golf is a game of imperfection, and I know I'm not going to hit every shot perfect," Eklund said. "Just going out there and getting the most out of every single round, that's what I've been doing lately."
There were a few turning points along the way for Eklund.
On the course, he posted a 77 and 74 in the first two rounds at the Seminole Intercollegiate, hosted by Florida State, in late February. He was still adjusting to a swing change from the fall, and it showed. In the last round, however, he dropped in seven birdies toward a bittersweet 2-under par 70 to end the tournament tied for 42nd.
"I definitely had some mental mistakes," he said of the final round, "but I knew that things were starting to click."
Eklund's perfectionism took over afterward but in a more productive way.
The following week, he met with head coach Grant Robbins for about an hour. Eklund said he told Robbins he wanted to use every resource available to him — statistics, course knowledge, short game tips, anything to give him an edge.
"Whatever he can throw at me, I'm going to take," Eklund said. "I told him, 'I'm going to be in your office so much that you get tired of seeing me.'"
Robbins has not grown tired of it yet.
He said Eklund has matured greatly in the way he prepares and maintained the same work ethic he's always displayed. Now, he's just putting it to better use. For instance, Eklund has spent more time on his short game and less on the driving range. When he's on the range, it's been more about developing consistency, not perfection.
"Now that he's more consistent," Robbins said, "that's giving him more confidence."
Eklund's added confidence helped lead to career-low scores for 18 holes (66) and 54 holes (210) this spring. He recorded both at the Mission Inn Spring Spectacular in Florida, where his team won the program's first tournament since 2012 and he finished tied for second behind only his teammate Jeremy Gandon.
A week later, Eklund followed it with a team-best 2-under par 214 at the Tar Heel Invitational to finish fifth. In his eyes, this was another turning point because he did not have his "best stuff," especially in the first two rounds. But he grinded out a pair of 1-over par 73s and posted a 4-under par 68 to end it.
"In the past, maybe that first day would have been 75, 76," he said. "Now, I try to get the most out of every round."
As a result, K-State's getting the most out of Eklund. His last three tournament scores combine for the lowest total for a Wildcat in any three-tournament span since Mitchell Gregson — the program's leader for career scoring average — went 16-under par between three events in the 2008-09 season. This was also the last season K-State qualified as a team to an NCAA Regional, a goal this year's Wildcat team has in its sights.
It's a big reason why Eklund does not give his individual results and the accolades much thought. He said he's more preoccupied with how well his team has played alongside him, which includes three consecutive top-three finishes entering the Missouri Tiger Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday.
"It's me more putting the team ahead of myself," Eklund said. "It's a lot more important to see the team succeed than myself succeed. Whatever I can do to help the team is what I'm willing to do."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
K-State Women's Golf | Carla Bernat ANWA Recognition
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Women's Golf | Behind The Scenes Photoshoot
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Men's Golf | Wildcat Invitational
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Men's Golf | Wildcat Invitational 2025 Recap
Thursday, September 11
