With an impressive performance over the weekend at the 2008 Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, senior golfer Jon Curran notched the 16th top-10 finish of his career at Vanderbilt. He spoke with the Vanderbilt Hustler about what's to come for the golf team, the goals for the spring and his most memorable accomplishment to date.

Vanderbilt Hustler: With one tournament left this fall, how would you sum up the season so
far?
Jon Curran: We got off to a pretty decent start in the fall, and we have four total tournaments this season. As a team, we had a lot of high expectations and goals for ourselves. For me in particular, I set a lot of high goals for myself. We haven't quite met them yet. My goal for the fall season was to win every tournament, and we've had three so far. You set high goals for yourself and see what happens after that.

VH: How would you describe the SEC competition that you face?
JC: The difference between the two seasons isn't that much, but in the fall, we have a lighter schedule in terms of competition. With the SEC in the spring, it's one of the strongest fields you can possibly get in college golf.

VH: With 16 top-ten finishes in your career at Vandy, what would you say is the best part of your game?
JC: Once you get to the collegiate level, everyone kind of hits the ball the same and putts it the same. It's more your mental approach, and the way you go about it that set you apart. You have to have that mental edge- you have to know how to win, and you have to put yourself in a position to win.

VH: Being one of three seniors on the team, have you seen your role change at all?
JC: There are three seniors this year- Tyler Matthews, John Ebert, and myself. We've kind of taken leadership role; there aren't any set captains though.

VH: What are your goals for your last spring season as a Commodore?
JC: In the spring, we want to get to regionals. To do so, you need to have a .500 record. We've always been on that .500 mark, and we want to work to get there again. My sophomore year we made it to nationals, and we definitely want to get back. We really have to play well right out of the gates, and then continue on.

VH: After graduation, where do you hope to take your golf career?
JC: After graduating in the spring, my goal and dream is to turn pro. I'm going to play some mini-tour events, and go to Q-school, which qualifies you for the PGA Tour.

VH: Looking back on your successful collegiate career to date, does any accomplishment stand out in your mind?
JC: My sophomore year we played at regionals in Arizona, and we had to make it in the top ten to go to nationals. We shot 21-under par the last day, and came in fourth. Seeing the guys afterwards was awesome, with that sense of satisfaction and pride.

VH: Have you been a golfer all of your life?
JC: I've been playing golf since I was about four years old. My dad brought me into the sport, and he played golf at that time. I slowly got into it that way.

VH: What keeps you coming back to the sport?
JC: It's a combination of a lot of things, but you really have to love the competition that you get and the camaraderie that's there between the guys. Over the summer on the amateur circuit, you see a lot of the same guys and you travel week to week to the tournaments. There's a lot of bonding, and you make a lot of friends that way.