It is the time away from the green when Mariana Mesones started to find her game again.
Mesones, a sophomore from Peru, returned to the Gophers women’s golf team in September after taking a gap year and said she had to readjust to balancing college and golf life. She said her golf performance was impacted by her mental state.
During her freshman year, Mesones broke Minnesota’s 18-, 36- and 54-hole records at the Evie Odom Invitational and earned her second consecutive Big Ten Women’s Golfer of the Week honor.
Mesones said she was considered one of the best putters in the Big Ten her freshman year but lost the skills.
A self-described perfectionist off the golf course, Mesones is completely different with a club in hand. She labeled herself a “feel golfer,” focusing more on her confidence than her technique to succeed.
“I feel like the mental aspect is bigger,” Mesones said. “For me, it’s like 99% mental, 1% actual how to hit the ball.”
Mesones said it is difficult to find confidence while in-season since she is constantly golfing and reminded of her struggles. She used the time off to visit her family in Peru and relax with friends, allowing her to recharge and prepare for the spring season.
On the course, Mesones recreates shots she missed during competitions to prove she is capable of making them.
Minnesota’s last tournament as a team was during the first week of October when they placed fourth at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
Mesones tied for 37th at the Intercollegiate with a 4-over-par score. Mesones said she expected a better outcome but felt satisfied with her season.
“I feel like all my misses golf-wise relate and it’s together with the lack of confidence that I had,” Mesones said. “There were some moments in time on the golf course that my confidence wasn’t there.”
After the fall season ended, Gophers head coach Matt Higgins said his staff assessed each golfer to identify areas for improvement to then use the offseason to focus on individuals. Higgins said he trusts the athletes to use their time off to improve themselves because they hold each other accountable.
“They’re talented, they have goals, they know what they want to be,” Higgins said.
Mesones praised Minnesota’s coaches and their relationships with athletes. She said they prioritize the golfers’ emotions over their on-course performance.
“They are very focused on you as a person instead of a golfer,” Mesones said.
Mesones was the only golfer on the team available to talk, but several members had individual moments of success during the season.
Three Gophers competed as individuals in the Tommie Invitational in mid-October. Higgins said the tournament allowed athletes who are not consistently in the lineup to get experience.
Junior Ruby Chi tied for sixth place at the Tommie Invitational, scoring 14-over-par as she recorded four birdies in the final 18 holes. Higgins said Chi has been in and out of the lineup but is having the best season of her college career.
The Gophers placed third at the Mary Fossum Invitational in September and Chi finished 20th as she shot 5-over-par for her best finish as a Gopher. Chi’s previous career-best competing for Minnesota was when she shot 18-over-par for a 55th-place finish at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational in April.
Higgins described freshman Reese McCauley as another feel golfer and said he saw major growth from her. Between McCauley’s first and last tournament of the fall season, she improved by shaving off seven strokes from her final score.
“Once she got accustomed to playing college golf and knowing what to expect—playing 36 holes in one day, multiple times—she really grew,” Higgins said.
The Gophers return to the fairways in February 2025 to kick off their spring championship season at the Puerto Rico Classic.
