Kortan & Co. host Aggie Invitational at Traditions Club this weekend

College golf returns to Bryan-College Station this weekend as Texas A&M hosts the Aggie Invitational at Traditions Club on Saturday and Sunday. During Tuesday's edition of TexAgs Radio, head coach Brian Kortan spoke about the event and provided an update on his team.

Key notes from Brian Kortan interview

• There are so many things being tugged in different directions in college athletics, but it’s still college athletics. It’s still great. You see young men and women compete at a high level. At the core, it’s still genuine. Life is changing, and it’s changing for college athletes. We have to keep moving and keep evolving.
   
• We’ve had a decent spring in terms of how we’ve played. We’ve gotten better. We’ve fought some things, and we’ve had some guys battle a few injuries. Valspar is as good of a field as you can get in college golf. We beat No. 1 North Carolina. We finished seventh on the weekend, but we were just a couple of swings from finishing third or fourth against an absolutely loaded field.
   
• We talk to our guys and tell them that we’re able. Our good golf is as good as anybody’s. When you play good golf and beat some good teams, it helps that message resonate.
   
• The SEC is loaded in golf just like it is in baseball and softball. It’s a great competition. The conference is so strong. The fanbases and universities enhance the competition and experience. Playing these teams gets us ready. The intimidation of who is who wears off, and it just becomes golf.
   
• Our guys battle. They're a fighting group. We’re a blue-collar group. They work their tails off and do it willingly. We had an extra cardio session the other day because they got too emotional on the golf course. They expect to do well, which is what I want.
   
• When I was in college like 100 years ago, we didn’t work out a lot. It evolved in the late 80s and early 90s into some cardio stuff and some lifting. I tell our guys to treat my team like athletes. They’re expected to move and work like athletes. It’s golf-centered movements, but that’s not soft. I love it, and they love it. In that world, Bo Sandoval’s knowledge is incredible. I love talking to him. His stories are pretty good. We’re fortunate that he’s at A&M and that we get to work with him. He really pushes our guys. He went from MMA to working with golfers. He has been awesome.
   
• Vishnu Sadagopan is awesome. When he was a junior in high school was the first time he could hit a golf ball over 200 yards. He had some intangibles that we looked at, and we knew he was going to be a project. He took that challenge on. He’s from Pearland. He’s not the most robust fella, but he’s an adult with strength and can hit a golf ball 275 yards in the air. He has evolved into a physical presence in college golf. To watch him take those steps and do it with a smile has been a joy to watch. You will not meet a nicer guy. He’s great. We’re fortunate to have him.
   
• Daniel Rodrigues is a senior, and he’s our only senior. I’d like to say he has played better this year than he ever has. He continues to evolve. He’s a really talented guy. The dude is competitive and might be the most competitive guy on the team. He has a huge competitive heart. He’s at the top level of college golf, and nobody would want to play him in a match. He has been incredible in match play for us. He has a chance to be a very successful professional if that’s what he chooses to do. He’s also a really good person. He was one of my first freshmen when I became head coach, and we’ve had a great relationship.
   
• Sam Bennett left, and he left a hole. Everybody knows the star. When you lose a guy like William Paysse, that’s a tough one to lose too. He was a lineup guy and was very reliable. He was really good. To lose those two, it became a tough adjustment for guys to move up a couple of slots.
   
• The Aggie Invitational is this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. It’s free golf at Traditions Club. We’re looking forward to it. It’s cool to play in front of the home fans. After that, it’s about two weeks before the SEC Championships. We’ll have time to catch our breath before Sea Island, regionals and beyond in the postseason. We’re getting close to being the best version of who we are.
   
• The guys have done a good job of taking some coaching. We get together and collaborate and push some buttons. The guys have been getting after it.
   
• On April 19, we have Aggie Golf Day. There are a bunch of Aggies who love golf, and it’s fun that they support us. We’ll have about 150 guys who will be playing, and we’ll have some prizes. They’ll get the Ol’ Sarge golf gear too.