Athlete Profile: Cooper Uelmen

Bonduel High School golfer Cooper Uelmen has enjoyed a strong high school career, and he’s hoping his senior season is his best yet.

Last spring, Uelmen guided the Bears to sectionals as a team. Uelmen just missed out on qualifying for state as an individual.

Uelmen is off to a strong start this spring. He led Bonduel with an 18-hole round of 85 to help the team place first at Weymont Run Country Club on April 21. He finished second on the team with a nine-hole total of 47 when the team placed first at Maple Hills Golf Course on April 22.

Q: When did your interest in golf begin?

A: My interest in golf began when I was in freshman year when I wanted to try something different than baseball, which I played for a while before. I just started swinging, and it’s easy to get hooked.

Q: What is your favorite part about the golf season?

A: I love the rides to and from the courses, especially after a good round. The atmosphere is just so fun, and I like having a group of my friends around to have a good time.

Q: What has golf taught you over the years?

A: Golf has taught me a lot about patience and controlling my emotions. If you’re golfing and you lose control, you’ll struggle even more. You need to keep a cool head, and that’s something that applies to life itself — not just golf.

Q: You plan on golfing at UW-Stevens Point next year, and I’m wondering if you’d like to prove anything in your final high school season?

A: I’d like to prove to everyone that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. When I first started three years ago, I was shooting 60, 70 over par in each round. Now, I’m shooting around 6-10 over par each round. That’s a huge improvement in that short of time. I hope to prove to not just myself but everyone that by working hard, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

Q: How did you prepare for the golf season?

A: I prepared for this season by hitting balls into a net, either at my house or at Golden Sands Golf Course. I also added a few new clubs to the bag and took lessons from my boss (Jim Acker) at the course.

Q: Being a multi-sport athlete, how did your other sports get you prepared for the golf season?

A: I only participated in cross-country this year, but I feel like it helped me keep in shape as well as being able to handle pressure, mainly because of state cross-country.

Q: Before a meet starts, do you or the team have any routines or rituals you go through?

A: Mainly, I’ll have my team hit a routine of shots on the range and the green. Too often, I’ll see players on other teams only hit driver, and that’s one of the worst things you can do. It doesn’t get you ready at all compared to a good routine. Putting and chipping are, in my opinion, the most important part of the game. I like to emphasize practicing on that.

Q: What’s your key to being able to consistently put up strong rounds?

A: Just keeping a cool head helps me shoot consistent. Letting yourself go is when you see your strokes rack up fast. Finding my groove is when I really feel good about my game.

Q: What’s your favorite memory of competing on the Bonduel boys golf team?

A: My favorite moment of my golf career is easily playing with some of the people I’ve met. Some of the rounds can just be so incredibly fun you almost forget you’re competing against them.

Q: Favorite movie, TV show and musical artist?

A: Movie — “Happy Gilmore.” TV show — “Breaking Bad.” Music artist — AJR.

Q: Name one thing about yourself that not many people know.

A: Something people don’t know about me is I’ve spent more money on my golf bag than my car.

Q: What are some things you hope to accomplish after graduating high school?

A: I hope to get a job at a PGA course someplace down south with my business degree. I also hope to help lead my golf team at point to a decent record and a few wins.

AT A GLANCE

Athlete: Cooper Uelmen

Sport: Golf

School: Bonduel High School

Year: Senior