Brian Kortan recaps A&M's first-place finish at Gopher Invitational

Key notes from Brian Kortan interview

• This will be an evolving group this season. They’ve worked their tails off. I’ve never had to get on them about working. They are coachable. They are talented. We are really fortunate to have the group we have.
   
• Aaron Pounds has gotten more comfortable in stressful situations on the golf course. When you can stay calm, and life is not moving too fast on the course. You can see it. I was with him on the last hole, hitting some shots, and not once was he out of routine. He played at the same pace. It is just learning how to handle those situations. It is like developing calluses. The more you work it, the more protected you are.
   
• It was good for them to get their feet wet. Shiv Parmar is a really good player. A little guy, 5-foot-8 and 125 pounds. He is effective. He plays with a smile and a chip on his shoulder. He gets excited in a way and gives you a fist bump. I knew the team needed someone like him with that energy, so it is really good to have him. Our guys get mad at their bad shots, but they should be happy and smile at their good shots.
   
• Kris Kuvaas is a new face. He played his individual this week. We are getting him into the program, where he is understanding how we do things. Fantastic kid, incredibly nice, talented, of course. Conference champion with Pepperdine last year. He shot 15 under, so he can obviously play. He’s learning about being around the Aggies, and he is doing incredibly well.
   
• We’ve done a good job of putting ourselves in a position to win these tournaments. We need to carry that through to our tougher weeks. We're going to Olympia Fields next Monday. It will be a tight and tough course. Illinois hosts it, a perennial top-15 team. Texas usually goes. There will be 8-10 top 25 teams.
   
• We were excited to get on the road last week. We had a good qualifier, played five rounds. Guys have gotten into their classes and into their routines. We wanted to get out of town and on the course. That is how you start testing yourself. You got through all of fall, setting yourself up for this.