Aidan Schumer took the top individual prize at the 2022 Canadian University Championship (CUC).
On June 4, the UBC men’s golf team won the Golf Canada championship title led by individual champion Schumer. The Ubyssey spoke with the young T-Bird about his exciting win at the national championships and what he hopes for in his coming years at UBC.
Competing alongside Canada’s top post-secondary talent, securing the individual title was no easy task for Schumer.
“The last day of the tournament was definitely the most difficult. The conditions were pretty tough,” said Schumer, as he recalled the windy conditions on the course. Despite the unpredictable weather obstacles, he cited his mental composure as a tool to stay present during the game.
“I wasn’t thinking about myself, I wanted to win this tournament for the team,” he recalled.
Schumer said the team had a great dynamic this year. The combination of his coaches’ mentorship and supportive team energy gave him “a sense of purpose to succeed” throughout the competition.
Schumer played four grand rounds during the championship and was the only player to complete every round under par, landing him the individual title.
“It’s really fun to want something so bad and be able to accomplish it by knowing you’ve worked so hard,” he said.
Golf as a metaphor for life
Beyond the golf course, Schumer said the sport has taught him valuable lessons. Using golf as a metaphor for life, he applied these lessons to achieve meaning and purpose in his personal life.
“If we all understood that there are only certain aspects of our life we can control, we would have a better sense of acceptance and ability to carry ourselves through difficult times,” Schumer explained. As he recalled the championship’s uncontrollable windy conditions, he remembers focusing on the aspects of the game he could control to succeed.
As an aspiring psychology student and T-Bird, he feels “nothing but pure excitement for what’s to come.”
“I really want to be a part of history at UBC, and I really want to help this golf program,” he said. Among many other notable successes, this year marks another one of UBC’s CUC titles, as the team successfully defended their previous win. Schumer hopes he can contribute to the university’s strong athletic reputation.
“I can’t say for sure what’s to come, but I really look forward to the next few years,” he said. UBC’s golf team was “really close” to winning the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship this year, and he hopes to be a part of the winning team in the future.
“I am going to work as hard as I can and see how good I can get. There’s really no pressure and I have nothing to lose at this point,” Schumer said. He looks forward to playing at more events in the summer and strengthening his bond with his teammates.
“Golf is something that’s been with me my whole life, and I hope it’s there for me for the rest of my life.”
A previous version of this story misquoted Aidan Schumer. Schumer said he wanted to ‘win’ the tournament for his team, not ‘witness.’ This article was updated on June 19, 2022 at 3:08 p.m. to reflect this change.