Wolf Pack golfer Mitch Abbott has made the most of his short stay in Nevada thus far.
His round of 66 is the lowest scoring round at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. However, that’s not the only record he set during his three seasons.
Abbot was named First Team All-State, First Team All-Southern Nevada and First Team All-Sunset Region twice. He won the 2018 Sunset Region Championship and was named Bishop Gorman Player of the Year twice.
With a slew of titles and awards, it’s safe to say Abbott has grown some roots in the Silver State.
“It’s an honor to represent Nevada anyway possible,” he said. “I’ve only been here for about four years, but I’m already used to it. I really enjoy the area. I loved playing in Las Vegas and competing here at the university.”
Abbott is looking to translate his high school success to the Nevada men’s golf team this upcoming season. He redshirted his first season with the Wolf Pack.
“I definitely worked on my game this summer,” Abbott said. “I took it a lot more seriously. I’m just looking to qualify for my first tournament and go from there. We have a really competitive team which is great, but I have confidence in our success.”
Before he took the course at Nevada, Abbott won back-to-back state golf titles in his freshman year at Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico.
His impressive stints at the academy and Bishop Gorman has paved the way toward a bright future with the Wolf Pack.
“High school was so much fun, I wish I didn’t take it for granted,” he said. “I was so focused on my goals and I let my play speak for itself. From the titles to the records, it was just crazy for me to hit my stride.”
No matter his performance on each hole, Abbott keeps his focus. His consistency from the tee box to the green has helped him improve his mental approach to the game.
“I keep that same attitude on the course,” Abbott said. “If I have a bad couple of holes I never get too down, and if I string together some good holes I never get too cocky. I try to stay even keel and it takes me further than most parts of the game.”
Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, basketball was at the center of the Abbott family. Mitch’s brother, Dylan Abbott, played college basketball at Adams State University.
He kept the basketball tradition heading into Albuquerque Academy. Abbott made the Chargers’ varsity basketball team as a freshman.
But that same season, he got his first taste of state championships in golf and was hooked ever since.
“I was never a real big fan of golf at first,” he said. “We’re a big basketball family so I played that a lot, … but I started taking it seriously at the Academy. When we moved to Vegas, everything clicked. It was nice to soak up the experience.”
Abbot received plenty of collegiate offers coming out of Bishop Gorman. Schools including Boise State, Grand Canyon and CAL Poly lined up to recruit him.
He instead chose Nevada to help strengthen the team’s chances in the Mountain West Conference.
“That was a huge part of it,” he said. “Other schools like Boise and UNLV were great, but I liked the university a lot. I really wanted to come out here and win some titles this year.”
Abbott has relied on his skills and perseverance thus far. He got his first taste of success in high school, now he’s driven to put Nevada men’s golf on the map for years to come.
Nevada kicks-off the season on Sept. 8 against the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers during the Badger Invitational.
“I really love golf because it’s an individual sport,” he said. “I don’t have to rely on four other teammates to help win a game. I depend on myself, win or lose and there’s no excuses, … here, we have the talent to compete for a Mountain West title.”
Isaiah Burrows can be reached at rfreeberg@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @SagebrushSports.
