Mustang Spotlight: Nicholas Mok — Men's Golf
4/19/2022 3:23:00 PM | Men's Golf
Story by: Catie Logan, Cal Poly Athletics Communications
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Prior to attending Cal Poly, Nicholas Mok, a redshirt sophomore on the men's golf team, served for two years in the Singapore Army.
Mok's parents studied at the University of Oklahoma and then moved back to Singapore after their graduation. Mok was born and raised in Singapore.
Before going off to college, Mok was required to serve in the Singapore Infantry Regiment, the largest formation of the Singapore Army.
While serving, Mok found ways to keep up his golf skills. The first months were hard for him because he was in basic training or bootcamp. Throughout that time, he only had one break, from Saturday morning to Sunday evening, each week. Following a long week of training, Mok would try to go to the driving range.
For the next three months Mok's training intensified as he trained to become an infantry trooper. Similar to prior months, he made an effort to attend the golf range on weekends as often as possible for a couple hours.
After training was finished, Mok's schedule became more regular. He was off Friday evenings and didn't have to return to camp until Sunday night. He would practice at the range on Saturdays and the golf course on Sundays. In addition, any random day Mok had free, he would practice.
Nicholas went on to talk about how disciplined military life is from everyday life. Not only was physical training a big aspect, but mental training too. "Everyone is going to get tired during training or exercises, but it's what you believe in your mind that pulls you through it. That was a very eye-opening experience for me." he said.
Mok talked about how he enjoyed the company of the friends he met while serving. After their service, he and five friends went to Bali in February 2019 for a week. They explored the island and relaxed.
Nicholas says he chose Cal Poly because of the academic rigor and prestigious reputation. He mentioned a fellow Singaporean who inspired him to join the team: Jesse Yap, a former Cal Poly golfer. Nicholas praised the California weather which allows him to golf practically every day. He also noticed that Cal Poly has been improving the golf program, citing the donations made to construct the golf clubhouse at Dairy Creek Golf Course.
"All of these are reasons that Cal Poly is a good fit for me," says Mok, a Business Administration major concentrating in Information Systems.
Nicholas praised how welcoming and friendly everyone is in San Luis Obispo. "Everyone asks how your day is going." He contrasted the massive city of Singapore as being more fast paced. He also noted the hot, humid weather he left behind in Singapore.
Mok says the Cal Poly Golf practice environment is conducive for improvement and winning. At Dairy Creek, they can practice whenever they want. The wind at their practice facility helps them prepare for windy venues by the water. The clubhouse is an additional bonus for the team to hang out and get better.
He recognized how the coaches know how to improve their game and skillset.
Mok reminisced how going to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Hoakalei Colligate Invitational has been a highlight of his college career thus far. He enjoyed visiting the historical site of Pearl Harbor and viewing the USS Missouri Memorial.
Nicholas' goal for this season is to help his team win the Big West Conference title. "I know golf is an individual sport, but being able to accomplish something as a team would be a lot more fulfilling, seeing the hard work we put in and being rewarded for it."
Mok has three career top-20 finishes with ten rounds of par or better, including two rounds in the 60s in his Mustang career.
The Mustangs are on the road at the El Macero Classic on Wednesday, April 20, to Friday, April 22, with an 8 a.m. tee time all three days.
Photos courtesy of Nikolas Mok/Cal Poly Athletics
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Prior to attending Cal Poly, Nicholas Mok, a redshirt sophomore on the men's golf team, served for two years in the Singapore Army.
Mok's parents studied at the University of Oklahoma and then moved back to Singapore after their graduation. Mok was born and raised in Singapore.
Before going off to college, Mok was required to serve in the Singapore Infantry Regiment, the largest formation of the Singapore Army.
While serving, Mok found ways to keep up his golf skills. The first months were hard for him because he was in basic training or bootcamp. Throughout that time, he only had one break, from Saturday morning to Sunday evening, each week. Following a long week of training, Mok would try to go to the driving range.
For the next three months Mok's training intensified as he trained to become an infantry trooper. Similar to prior months, he made an effort to attend the golf range on weekends as often as possible for a couple hours.
After training was finished, Mok's schedule became more regular. He was off Friday evenings and didn't have to return to camp until Sunday night. He would practice at the range on Saturdays and the golf course on Sundays. In addition, any random day Mok had free, he would practice.
Nicholas went on to talk about how disciplined military life is from everyday life. Not only was physical training a big aspect, but mental training too. "Everyone is going to get tired during training or exercises, but it's what you believe in your mind that pulls you through it. That was a very eye-opening experience for me." he said.
Mok talked about how he enjoyed the company of the friends he met while serving. After their service, he and five friends went to Bali in February 2019 for a week. They explored the island and relaxed.
Nicholas says he chose Cal Poly because of the academic rigor and prestigious reputation. He mentioned a fellow Singaporean who inspired him to join the team: Jesse Yap, a former Cal Poly golfer. Nicholas praised the California weather which allows him to golf practically every day. He also noticed that Cal Poly has been improving the golf program, citing the donations made to construct the golf clubhouse at Dairy Creek Golf Course.
"All of these are reasons that Cal Poly is a good fit for me," says Mok, a Business Administration major concentrating in Information Systems.
Nicholas praised how welcoming and friendly everyone is in San Luis Obispo. "Everyone asks how your day is going." He contrasted the massive city of Singapore as being more fast paced. He also noted the hot, humid weather he left behind in Singapore.Mok says the Cal Poly Golf practice environment is conducive for improvement and winning. At Dairy Creek, they can practice whenever they want. The wind at their practice facility helps them prepare for windy venues by the water. The clubhouse is an additional bonus for the team to hang out and get better.
He recognized how the coaches know how to improve their game and skillset.
Mok reminisced how going to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Hoakalei Colligate Invitational has been a highlight of his college career thus far. He enjoyed visiting the historical site of Pearl Harbor and viewing the USS Missouri Memorial.
Nicholas' goal for this season is to help his team win the Big West Conference title. "I know golf is an individual sport, but being able to accomplish something as a team would be a lot more fulfilling, seeing the hard work we put in and being rewarded for it."
Mok has three career top-20 finishes with ten rounds of par or better, including two rounds in the 60s in his Mustang career.
The Mustangs are on the road at the El Macero Classic on Wednesday, April 20, to Friday, April 22, with an 8 a.m. tee time all three days.
Photos courtesy of Nikolas Mok/Cal Poly Athletics
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
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