For Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles senior men’s golfer Haden Maxwell, finishing his collegiate career on a high note starts with making sure his putting falls in line. Maxwell said his confidence on the greens has become the backbone of his recent success.
“My putting has been really well,” Maxwell said. “It has saved me in numerous situations and it’s also benefited me if I make a long putt for birdie and inside five feet has been really solid too within the past two, three tournaments, so it’s always nice to have that assurance of not worrying about those knee-knocking ones.”
The Soddy Daisy native said the consistency did not come overnight. Over the past three seasons, Maxwell has spent hours refining his stroke and approach on the greens, turning practice into results during tournament play. Maxwell said one moment in particular stands out as a confidence booster.
“Either of the events at UT Martin or the Carolina Cup,” Maxwell said. “I felt like it was a lot easier because how my dad always said, try to envision the hole as big as a washtub and that’s kind of how it felt during those moments because once you see them fall, it’s difficult to stop.”
Maxwell averaged 69.4 strokes in the fall across multiple events, earning Ohio Valley Conference Golfer of the Month honors in September. He also captured the Carolina Cup title, becoming the first Tennessee Tech golfer in nearly two decades to win back-to-back tournaments. Maxwell also finished runner-up at the Xavier Invitational, where he fired a low round of 65. Despite the individual accolades, Maxwell said his focus remains on the team’s success.
“I feel like I’ve done exceptionally well,” Maxwell said. “But us as a team, we’ve done really well also. We bounced back really well after our year last year. We are so close, we just got to get all our ducks in a row.”
As Maxwell approaches the final months of his collegiate career, he said he hopes to make the most of his remaining time on the course while also advocating for the Golden Eagles’ golf program.
With his putter heating up and confidence growing, Maxwell is looking to help lead Tennessee Tech toward a strong finish to the season. The Golden Eagles’ men’s golf team will see action March 12th, as they will compete in the People’s Championship, hosted by Western Carolina.
