The first thing Remy Stalcup noticed when he visited Morehead State wasn't the golf facilities, the schedule or even the Kentucky weather, it was the people.
As Stalcup met members of the Morehead community, staff and his future teammates, he began to see something beyond a place to continue his golf career. He saw a place where people cared about one another and about the university they represented.
"During my visit, I could tell that these people truly cared about Morehead and what happens here," Stalcup said. "A big reason I chose Morehead was because of the people I met on my visit."
Coming from Michigan, the warmer Kentucky climate was another bonus.
"I wanted to go somewhere that stayed warmer for longer to improve my golf skills," he said.
Together, the people and the opportunity to grow in his game made Morehead State feel like the right fit.
Now, as he continues his collegiate career, Stalcup approaches golf with the same mindset that helped draw him to Morehead in the first place: trust the process, enjoy the people around you and make the most of every opportunity.
For a competitive golfer, few things compare to watching a shot unfold exactly as it was imagined.
"The best feeling is hitting a shot exactly how you envisioned it before you ever swung the club," Stalcup said. "There's no better feeling than executing a plan just how you drew it up."
Still, not every round is about chasing a score.
Away from competition, Stalcup finds just as much enjoyment in the simpler side of the game — spending time outdoors and sharing a round with friends.
"The best feeling is having fun with the people you enjoy being around," he said.
That balance between competition and enjoyment may be part of what keeps Stalcup grounded in a sport where success often depends as much on the mind as it does on the swing.
His preparation begins well before the first tee.
Stalcup keeps a consistent weight-room routine to stay physically prepared for the demands of swinging, walking and carrying a bag. Before tournaments, he also makes a point of walking courses and carrying his bag, preparing his body for the conditions he will face during competition.
But perhaps the most important preparation takes place before the tournament even begins.
"Most of the mental side is confidence, and that confidence comes from preparation," Stalcup said. "There's no switch you can flip the day before an event to lock in. It's done in the preparation leading up to it."
During practice rounds, that preparation can become a rehearsal for competition. On the back nine, Stalcup treats the course as if the tournament has already begun — no extra practice shots, just a focus on playing each hole as it comes.
That discipline carries over when things don't go according to plan.
Rather than searching for a perfect swing in the middle of a round, Stalcup focuses on working with what he has that day and finding a way to grind out a score. When his thoughts begin to race, whether after a good shot or a bad one, he has a simple way of resetting: taking off his hat and putting it back on.
It's a small action, but one that reminds him to slow down and stay calm.
That ability to focus on the present also shapes the advice he gives to younger golfers hoping to reach the Division I level.
"The one thing I would tell a golfer who wants to play at a high level is to focus a majority of their practice time on 100 yards and in," Stalcup said. "Once you get to a high level, everybody hits it good. It comes down to wedges and putting."
It's advice he has taken to heart himself.
Growing up, Stalcup found a model for that part of the game in Jordan Spieth. He admired Spieth's short game and putting and tried to incorporate what he learned from watching one of golf's top players into his own approach.
"I learned a lot about golf and how to play just by watching him," Stalcup said. "His short game and putting always amazed me."
As Stalcup's time at Morehead State continues, golf remains only one part of what lies ahead. He is studying business management and hopes to return for his master's degree after graduating. From there, he sees two possible paths: pursuing professional golf or entering the golf management and teaching industry.
For now, though, Stalcup isn't looking too far ahead.
He is focused on the next shot, the next round and the preparation required to be ready for both.
And whether he's standing over a tournament-defining putt or spending an afternoon on the course with friends, the game still comes back to the same things that helped bring him to Morehead State in the first place: preparation, confidence and the people who make the experience worth it.
Maybe that's why Stalcup's choice for a walk-up song is so fitting: Bob Marley's "Jamming."
Because for all the pressure, precision and preparation that golf demands, Stalcup has learned to leave room for one more important part of the game — simply enjoying where he is, who he's with and the chance to play.
