Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 10 No. 5 | May 2018

40 Inside Hokie Sports IT ’S HOW HOKI ES TRAVEL . Whether you’re planning a family vacation, a romantic getaway, or hitting the road to cheer the Hokies to victory, Martin Travel has you covered. Ensure your place in the stands or in the sand with one of our travel packages. For more information, stop by your local store: Blacksburg | 1344 S. Main Street, Suite 3 | 540-951-7854 Martinsville | 156 East Market Street | 276-632-6126 Roanoke | 3615 Franklin Road | 540-343-5400 www.MartinTravel.com | Info@MartinTravel.com Lawrence’s length off the tee combined with his improved short game nearly enabled him to win the prestigious U.S. Amateur held at revered Riviera Country Club outside of Los Angeles this past August. He made it all the way to the match play semifinals against Clemson’s Doc Redman. On the final hole, the two were all square, but Lawrence got a bit unlucky, hitting a wedge shot well past the hole, which left him with a slick downhill putt. He wound up losing the hole, as Redman advanced. The loss still stings, but time and maturity have allowed Lawrence to learn from the experience. “I gained a lot of confidence and belief in myself,” he said. “I always felt like I was good enough to compete with anyone, but just being able to do that and compete with the best players in the world kind of helped me solidify that belief.” Lawrence plans to return to both tournaments this summer and hopes to carry his spring successes into them. His 71.20 average this spring marked the best of his career. Then he returns to Tech in August for his final season. Work remains for this young man, who wants to add an ACC championship to his illustrious resume before heading off to pursue PGA Tour dreams. Every golfer dreams of playing at that level—and Lawrence appears to have the game required to reach it. “Most of the guys that do well that you see on TV live it and breathe it,” Sharp said. “That’s the biggest thing in most of their lives … I just feel like he [Lawrence] has enough. You have to be able to hit it far, and he can certainly do that. Then, can you chip and putt? And he can certainly do that.” “That’s my plan,” Lawrence said of making the Tour. “It’s going to take work, and you’ve got to get lucky here and there.” Given his talent, Lawrence probably doesn’t need luck, but rest assured, he plans on continuing his superstitions. You know, just in case. PLAYING HIS P ASSION Continued from page 39 GETTING TO KNOW … MARK LAWRENCE JR. Q: What would be your dream vacation, and why? ML: I’d probably want to go over to Scotland and play Carnoustie, St. Andrews, Muirfield … all those courses over there. Just go over there with my dad. My best friend, Mike, and my buddy, Will, us four go over there for a week and just go travel around and play all those courses. Q: If you could play any other sport, it would be which one, and why? ML: Probably soccer. I played one year of indoor soccer with a bunch of my friends from back home. A lot of them are at Tech now, and they were all on the soccer team in high school, so we ended up winning the indoor league—and I was, by far, the worst player on the team. But it was so much fun to play. Q: If you could trade places with someone, who would it be, and why? ML: Probably Jack Nicklaus. To have 18 majors and six green jackets would be pretty cool. I’d probably wear all six of them in one day. Q: What type of music are you listening to these days? ML: I’m not a huge music person. When I flip on the radio, I like to listen to country music, and that’s pretty much it. Honestly, I have no idea who is singing most of the songs. I usually turn on ESPN Radio or a sports podcast. Q: What is your favorite thing about being a VT athlete? ML: Just being able to be with all the guys all the time, and the team camaraderie. It’s just a fun atmosphere for us.