Staying in the Moment
Feb 28, 2025 | Men's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
From the outset, Kobe Valociek has made an impact for the Kansas State men's golf team, and as the year progresses, the better the Virginia Tech senior transfer looks for the Wildcats.
In his first tournament, Valociek registered his best round of the Southern Dunes Invitational at 3-under par 69 over the final 18 holes on September 18, improving 11 spots on the leaderboard to finish in a tie for 17th place at 2-under par 214.
And now? Valociek is coming of a tie for fourth place with a 54-hole score of 7-under par 206 early last week at The Prestige, which featured a career-low tying round of 66 over the first 18 holes.
He ranks second on the team and fourth in school history with a 71.61 scoring average this season as he prepares to tackle the Colleton River Collegiate for the first time Sunday and Monday.
"We're glad he's here," head coach Grant Robbins said. "He's been a great teammate and has really fit in well with the guys right away. He's made a huge impact. We knew he could play, but when he got here what's really impressed us is just his approach to everything, his maturity, and how hard he works.
"He's just very determined and driven."
Valociek, who has five top-20 finishes this year, looked right at home in his gray Wildcats sweatshirt while standing inside Robbins' office at Colbert Hills Golf Club earlier this week.
"One of the biggest challenges is me being a perfectionist," he said. "I think that's good and bad. Sometimes I think it's good because there's always a drive to be better, but golf isn't perfect, so it hurts when you try to be perfect. Trying to find that middle ground has always been tough for me, but learning to manage that better has helped my game."
Valociek, a four-year letterwinner at Virginia Tech, posted a team-best scoring average of 72.38 en route to an individual bid in the NCAA Austin Regional last year. As a junior, he finished second on the team with a 72.97 scoring average. As a sophomore, he averaged 72.96 strokes per round, while he averaged 74.67 while playing twice as an individual his freshman year.
Valociek, a native of Peoria, Arizona, entered the transfer portal in late October 2023. Interestingly, he was paired with current K-State senior Nicklaus Mason in the final round of the Steelwood Collegiate in Loxley, Alabama, that following week (Valociek won the event with a 11-under par 205). Introductions were made, stories ensued. Then Valociek played with current K-State senior Cooper Schultz at the NCAA Austin Regional last year.
He visited K-State December 2023.
"It's an interesting story," Robbins said. "I found out about Kobe back when he was in high school. He was a high school junior and one of our former players knew the family in Arizona. He contacted me about Kobe, but we had just filled our roster for that year. But I knew of Kobe and what a great player he was, and he ended up at Virginia Tech. Just so happened when he entered the transfer portal, I'd followed his progress, and we contacted him right away. We're glad he's here."
Valociek felt at home in Manhattan.
"I loved how the coaches kind of laid out their plans for me," he said. "I knew what I needed to work on, but they knew that as well, and I felt I needed a new challenge and a different scenery. I played with Nick at Steelwood and played with Cooper at Regionals last year. I met Ben Stoller on my visit. That made it reassuring. They made it feel like home."
Robbins already had an idea for the talent that Valociek possessed on the course.
"He's an all-around very good ball striker and has tremendous length off the tee and is a solid iron player," Robbins said.
Although reasonably refined at his craft, Valociek recently added another weapon to his arsenal: The wedge.
"The area he's really improved on since he's been here are his wedges," Robbins said. "Because he drives it so well, he has a lot of opportunities inside of 100 yards, and we want him to be elite in that regard. Over Christmas break, he went home to Arizona, and he came back with much better control of his wedges. You're seeing the results of that in the first two tournaments of the spring."
Valociek has already felt the effects of his efforts.
"A lot of my success comes from just learning how to hit a lot of different shots," he said. "Working on the wedges has helped tremendously in setting myself up for birdies or saving pars. My more well-rounded game gives me more opportunities."
At the Hal Williams Collegiate, Valociek rose 18 spots during the final round to tie for 18th place at 4-under par 209. He carded a 4-under par 67 over the final 18 holes, which at the time was a season low and tied for the fourth-lowest round of his collegiate career.
That was impressive.
His feat at The Prestige was even more impressive.
"It was pretty good," he said. "I stayed steady and did everything I needed to do. I hit the ball well and was able to convert the six- to 10-footers for birdies. I felt pretty good. Frankly, I didn't know what I shot until the end of the round. I was like, 'What did I shoot?'
"I was focused on the process."
Armed with a bevy of talent and an improved wedge, Valociek remains in the process of putting together a standout spring for the Wildcats.
He carries goals with him this season as well.
"I want the team to make regionals, nationals and make a run," he said. "We have the talent for it. Individually, we still have a lot of season left, but my goal is to take it shot by shot. I have goals, but at the end of the day, my goal is to focus on what I'm doing at that exact moment, and everything is going to happen how it should."
From the outset, Kobe Valociek has made an impact for the Kansas State men's golf team, and as the year progresses, the better the Virginia Tech senior transfer looks for the Wildcats.
In his first tournament, Valociek registered his best round of the Southern Dunes Invitational at 3-under par 69 over the final 18 holes on September 18, improving 11 spots on the leaderboard to finish in a tie for 17th place at 2-under par 214.
And now? Valociek is coming of a tie for fourth place with a 54-hole score of 7-under par 206 early last week at The Prestige, which featured a career-low tying round of 66 over the first 18 holes.
He ranks second on the team and fourth in school history with a 71.61 scoring average this season as he prepares to tackle the Colleton River Collegiate for the first time Sunday and Monday.
"We're glad he's here," head coach Grant Robbins said. "He's been a great teammate and has really fit in well with the guys right away. He's made a huge impact. We knew he could play, but when he got here what's really impressed us is just his approach to everything, his maturity, and how hard he works.
"He's just very determined and driven."
Valociek, who has five top-20 finishes this year, looked right at home in his gray Wildcats sweatshirt while standing inside Robbins' office at Colbert Hills Golf Club earlier this week.
"One of the biggest challenges is me being a perfectionist," he said. "I think that's good and bad. Sometimes I think it's good because there's always a drive to be better, but golf isn't perfect, so it hurts when you try to be perfect. Trying to find that middle ground has always been tough for me, but learning to manage that better has helped my game."
Valociek, a four-year letterwinner at Virginia Tech, posted a team-best scoring average of 72.38 en route to an individual bid in the NCAA Austin Regional last year. As a junior, he finished second on the team with a 72.97 scoring average. As a sophomore, he averaged 72.96 strokes per round, while he averaged 74.67 while playing twice as an individual his freshman year.
Valociek, a native of Peoria, Arizona, entered the transfer portal in late October 2023. Interestingly, he was paired with current K-State senior Nicklaus Mason in the final round of the Steelwood Collegiate in Loxley, Alabama, that following week (Valociek won the event with a 11-under par 205). Introductions were made, stories ensued. Then Valociek played with current K-State senior Cooper Schultz at the NCAA Austin Regional last year.
He visited K-State December 2023.
"It's an interesting story," Robbins said. "I found out about Kobe back when he was in high school. He was a high school junior and one of our former players knew the family in Arizona. He contacted me about Kobe, but we had just filled our roster for that year. But I knew of Kobe and what a great player he was, and he ended up at Virginia Tech. Just so happened when he entered the transfer portal, I'd followed his progress, and we contacted him right away. We're glad he's here."
Valociek felt at home in Manhattan.
"I loved how the coaches kind of laid out their plans for me," he said. "I knew what I needed to work on, but they knew that as well, and I felt I needed a new challenge and a different scenery. I played with Nick at Steelwood and played with Cooper at Regionals last year. I met Ben Stoller on my visit. That made it reassuring. They made it feel like home."
Robbins already had an idea for the talent that Valociek possessed on the course.
"He's an all-around very good ball striker and has tremendous length off the tee and is a solid iron player," Robbins said.
Although reasonably refined at his craft, Valociek recently added another weapon to his arsenal: The wedge.
"The area he's really improved on since he's been here are his wedges," Robbins said. "Because he drives it so well, he has a lot of opportunities inside of 100 yards, and we want him to be elite in that regard. Over Christmas break, he went home to Arizona, and he came back with much better control of his wedges. You're seeing the results of that in the first two tournaments of the spring."
Valociek has already felt the effects of his efforts.
"A lot of my success comes from just learning how to hit a lot of different shots," he said. "Working on the wedges has helped tremendously in setting myself up for birdies or saving pars. My more well-rounded game gives me more opportunities."
At the Hal Williams Collegiate, Valociek rose 18 spots during the final round to tie for 18th place at 4-under par 209. He carded a 4-under par 67 over the final 18 holes, which at the time was a season low and tied for the fourth-lowest round of his collegiate career.
That was impressive.
His feat at The Prestige was even more impressive.
"It was pretty good," he said. "I stayed steady and did everything I needed to do. I hit the ball well and was able to convert the six- to 10-footers for birdies. I felt pretty good. Frankly, I didn't know what I shot until the end of the round. I was like, 'What did I shoot?'
"I was focused on the process."
Armed with a bevy of talent and an improved wedge, Valociek remains in the process of putting together a standout spring for the Wildcats.
He carries goals with him this season as well.
"I want the team to make regionals, nationals and make a run," he said. "We have the talent for it. Individually, we still have a lot of season left, but my goal is to take it shot by shot. I have goals, but at the end of the day, my goal is to focus on what I'm doing at that exact moment, and everything is going to happen how it should."
Players Mentioned
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