Senior Shane Ffrench represented the USC men’s golf team this year to play in Monday’s Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase. After battling some of the best college golfers in the country, Ffrench finished tied for 13th at six strokes above par.
Being a collegiate athlete is not an easy task. They are up early in the morning for weight and conditioning training before classes. After a class session, they continue to spend hours practicing afterward, while still having the academic responsibilities like the rest of USC students do.
For Ffrench, that pressure is even heavier on him, as he is about to reach the end of his collegiate career. Like any sport, becoming a PGA Tour golfer is an extremely challenging task. Only one golfer each year gets to make it to the PGA Tour directly from college.
Prior to the Collegiate Showcase, Ffrench talked with Annenberg Media about his preparation before the game, balance with school and his favorite Tiger Woods moment.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q. Walk me through how you felt when you heard the news about participating in the showcase?
I was really, really excited. I’ve watched the upperclassmen get to do it in front of me for the last three years, and so when [head] coach [Mark Hankins] told me that I was given his spot, I was really excited. That’s an incredible opportunity.
Q. Tiger Woods is the host of the Genesis Invitational, can you share with us your first Tiger moment?
I went to the 2008 US Open in San Diego when he won the playoff against Rocco Mediate. I was just a little kid, I think I was six. So, I got to see him win his last major before he won again in 2019.
Q. Walk us to your preparation before the event, specifically this one?
Just making sure that I treat it like a normal week. Obviously, it’s a big deal, but at the end of the day, I’m doing the same thing that I do any other time I tee it up. So just trying to focus on my routine and make sure that it stays constant with how it would be for anything else.
Q. How do you keep yourself on top of both school and golf?
I wasn’t very good at allocating my time and wasn’t giving enough time towards school and studying. As I realized that [school work] is why we are in college and it’s a huge priority, making sure that I study hard enough and spend enough time with school instead of just putting everything into golf, which is kind of how it was my first two years.