Austin Sigl discusses his record number of “fores” in a day, starting “CSI: Lake Stevens” and how he’ll be “going big at prom.”
Q: How’s life treating you?
A: Life’s good. Just enjoying being a senior, playing golf and just enjoying life right now.
Q: How did your round go today?
A: It was good. Some missed opportunities but considering the weather (cold and windy) and the conditions (really cold and windy) I just played my game out there and kind of grinded it out.
Q: What did you have for dinner last night?
A: Last night we actually – it’s funny that you ask that – we had team dinner at one of our teammates’ houses. We had barbequed steaks, baked potatoes and a nice Caesar salad.
Q: Was it good? It sounds good.
A: Ohhhh. Top notch.
Q: Now I’m hungry. So from what we hear you’re pretty good at golf. How’d you get started doing that?
A: Um. Five-years old. My grandparents bought me, you know, this little set. They cut down the clubs to three-feet tall and I wacked around on the course. My dad and my step-dad and all my grandparents and uncles they all golf so I’ve been around it my entire life.
Q: I’ve never swung a club before, is it easy to learn?
A: See, that’s the thing. A lot of people they say, “oh, the ball’s not even moving. It’s easy.” It’s not. It’s so hard. And it gets so frustrating if you hit a bad shot. It’s a total mind game. Total mind game.
Q: What’s your record for number of times yelling “fore!” in one day?
A: I gotta say…oof….actually last year at the (Tom) Dolan (Invitational) at the Everett Golf and Country Club. I think on every tee shot I yelled “fore.” It was just – rough day, to say the least.
Q: So how many tee shots are there? Eighteen?
A: Eighteen holes, yeah.
Q: How’s your season going so far?
A: The season’s actually going really well so far. We’re a young team right now. They’re playing really well considering how young they are and how much experience they have. And then I’ve been playing, personally, some of the best golf in the last couple weeks. I’ve been stepping my game up. So right now, a little over halfway through the season, I’m really glad about where we’re at and hopefully we can step it up as the season comes to an end.
Q: What’s the highlight of your golfing career?
A: Highlight of my golfing career? To be honest I would say actually, just on Monday. We had the annual Tom Dolan tournament at the Everett Golf and Country Club and I work there, so it’s kind of like home. I’ve been there for over a year and a half. And I made the leaderboard. Top 10 out of 120 kids. So that was a special moment. I played really good golf and I got to do it at my home course basically.
Q: So you had the home course advantage? Is that fair?
A: Yeah. Oh yeah. I mean (laughs). Some kids could argue against it. I mean, but it was a lot of hard work too, getting the job and obviously playing a lot of golf there. But that was definitely a special day for me.
Q: Will you be golfing next year in college?
A: Yes. I’m actually going to be golfing at Trinity Lutheran College right in downtown Everett. They’re just starting a golf program next year.
Q: So you’ll get to be there from the get-go?
A: Yeah. It’s going to be nice because the head coach (Jeff Cornish), he coaches at Glacier Peak High School right now, but he works with First Tee. It’s a program that helps younger students learn the game. I’ve known him for over five years. I went through the First Tee program and then he bumped me up to Coach Mentor, so I’ve just been kind of by his side, helping kids and going to different golf events with him. So he’s kind of grown, almost like a family member, to me.
Q: What else do you hope to get out of college?
A: They have a really good psychology program. I’m looking forward to either studying sports psychology, like the medicine and how athletes think, or forensic psychology. I’m actually taking a forensics class at our high school right now, so I’m interested in solving crimes and stuff like that.
Q: Like CSI: Lake Stevens?
A: (Laughs.) CSI: Lake Stevens, there you go.
Q: Do you like a particular professional golfer?
A: Yeah. I was actually really happy that Bubba Watson won the Masters the other day. I would have to say Kyle Stanley. He’s actually from Gig Harbor, Washington. He won a tournament a couple months ago over in Phoenix. And definitely Fred Couples from the Seattle area. You know, arguably the best golfer to come out of the Northwest. He’s always been my idol.
Q: Are you going to try to challenge him for that title?
A: I would love to. Freddie’s the man.
Q: Deep down, don’t you kind of wish your name was “Bubba?”
A: Dude, I think everyone wishes their name was “Bubba.”
Q: If you could golf anywhere in the world, like at any course, where would you go?
A: I think, this may be different for some golfers, but I think the easy answer is Augusta National (in Augusta, Georgia). I mean, that’s the pinnacle of golf right there.
Q: Do you have any cool plans for the rest of senior year?
A: Got prom coming up, you know, gonna go big at prom. We had a good homecoming. Superfanning at all the sports. Just growing as a golf team and having friend with friends. Enjoying the last year of high school. Last year of being a kid.
Q: When you say “going big at prom” you mean…
A: Going big at prom! You know, getting the big party bus. Getting the big group together. Getting on the dance floor. Going crazy and just hanging out afterwards and just enjoying the last big event of our senior year.
Q: Are you going to miss Lake Stevens High School when you’re gone?
A: I personally will. I’ve created so many good friends and the teachers there – I’ve grown to love Lake Stevens. It’s been a home to me and I’m definitely going to miss it a lot.
Q: What advice would you give to a young golfer to be successful?
A: Don’t get down on yourself. If you have a bad round, pick yourself up. There’s always going to be another round around the corner. Give yourself opportunities and stay positive. And create goals. If you set goals, and you try to reach those goals, you know, you might not reach all of them. But you just set goals and keep trying to attain them and you’re going to go far in what you want to do, whether it be golf, academics, whatever you want, just set goals, plan accordingly and just follow through.
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