Connor Creasy, a fifth-year Georgia golfer, has had three top-10 finishes going into the conference and regional tournaments. Creasey, an Abingdon, Va. native, is arguably playing the best golf of his collegiate career and leading the team by example. He puts it all in perspective by playing for his late best friend Kirk Nairn, who died in a car accident while Creasy was on his way to a golf tournament. Creasy discusses his leadership, developing into his own golfer and remembering Nairn.

(This interview has been edited for clarity.)

Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your five years here at Georgia?

Creasy: I would say the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that golf is just a game of misses. It’s kind of just about managing your game, managing yourself, managing your mind and trying to get the best score you can out of each day.

Q: How has your role changed in your time here at Georgia from freshman year all the way to now?

Creasy: I think I’ve kind of just developed over time and kind of just bought into the system of growing and learning from people ahead of me. Now, I’ve kind of gotten to the point where I’m an older guy. I have some of the younger guys leaning on me so my role has definitely changed over time in a better way. I’ve kind of become a leader and learned a lot from the guys that came before me and the coaches.

Q: What does it mean to you to have the opportunity to lead the team and pass on the experience and lessons that you’ve picked up?

Creasy: It means a lot. I guess when you’re growing up you kind of dream of it, but I guess I don’t really look at it like that too much. I kind of just try to buy into the process of doing the little things right each day and hopefully the rest of the team will feed off of that.

Q: You’ve got the wristband #4KN and you write it on your golf balls and your gloves in honor of your best friend who passed away. How do you feel like his memory keeps you grounded?

Creasy: Yeah, it’s such a unique perspective and golf really doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day. I mean, we do it because it’s fun and we enjoy it, but something like that definitely helps to keep things in perspective. Life is about the people that you surround yourself with and the memories that you make. It’s not about a game or golf or a sport or whatever it may be.

Q: Do you feel like he’s kind of out there with you when you’re on the course?

Creasy: For sure. I try to find as much peace as possible when I’m out there and that’s why I write it on my glove. It’s so easy to get frustrated in this game and whenever I do, I kind of just look down and try to remember that at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter that much. It’s nice to be able to kind of lean on that sometimes when you’re feeling under pressure or nervous or whatever it may be.

Q: On a little bit of a lighter note, how does it feel that you’ve started playing some of the best golf this year recently?

Creasy: I’ve got to keep doing the little things right. Buying into doing maintenance drills with my swing, doing maintenance drills with my putting while I’m here. When I’m at the tournament, I’ve got to be very focused on my mindset and preparing the right way when I get to the course and practice rounds. I’ve done a really good job -- and (coach) Mookie (DeMoss has) helped me a lot with this -- kind of just buying into only judging my frame of mind after each shot and not where the ball goes. That’s really helped me to kind of just stay more focused on my process, my routine and not so much about the score.

Q: What is the best part of your game over these past few starts?

Creasy: I’m a pretty good iron player, I would say. I have pretty good distance control. I don’t do anything great, to be honest. I’m kind of solid all around, but I play very smart. I’m a very disciplined player. I don’t really go at flags that much. I hit to the middle of the green a lot. I’m a pretty conservative player because I don’t really bomb it off the tee. I hit it pretty straight. I would say my strength is my discipline and leaving myself in the correct spots.

Q: How does playing at Georgia prepare you for that next level?

Creasy: (It prepares me) in a lot of ways. I think there’s six guys (from Georgia) playing in the Masters this week, which is awesome. There’s everything you need here to get better.

The coaches will get you anything you want. In terms of training aids and providing you with equipment. You got all things on that side. Great advice mentally around here. (coach Chris Haack) and (coach Jim Douglas) have been around for years, so they (have been helpful). Mookie coming along has been great. Really helping us with our processes and the way we think around the golf course and off the golf course as well. Every aspect of life here at Georgia you can grow upon from working out to nutritionists.

Q: Do you draw any influence at all from guys that have previously played here into your own style of playing?

Creasy: I really enjoy watching all the guys to be honest. I take a little bit from all the (former Georgia players) that are on tour. They all do different things exceptionally well. I think the guy that I try and mimic the most is probably Harris English. The times I’ve met him, he’s been super nice. He has a great demeanor on the golf course, great swing… All the guys are great: B-Todd (Brendon Todd), (Chris) Kirk, Sepp (Straka). You can’t go wrong with Keith (Mitchell).

Q: What are you most grateful for in your time here in Georgia?

Creasy: I would say just the people: the teammates, the coaches. That’s what I’ll remember the most. The things that I cherish the most. There’s been a ton of good people that I’ve been surrounded with. That’s definitely a thing that I’m most grateful for.

Cooper Burke is a student in the Sports Media Certificate program at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.