Enumclaw's Tyler Salsbury bound for the University of Washington

With a 4.0 GPA, Enumclaw's Tyler Salsbury is ready to tackle college golf head-on having signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Washington in fall 2012. 

Tyler and his father Dave shared some thoughts on this journey the entire Salsbury family has embarked on as Tyler has developed into one of the top junior golfers in the state of Washington.

What are your thoughts/emotions after officially signing the letter of intent?

Tyler: It was a nice relief to finally get it done. Having been verbally committed for over two years prior to the signing, I was very ready and very excited to make things official.

Were there any major challenges in the recruiting process in getting Washington's attention?

Tyler: Living in Washington, and especially on the west side made things a bit easier on me to get noticed by Matt Thurmond (head coach at UW). However, I knew I still had to impress him, and I guess I did a good job at that.

For Dave Salsbury: How has the journey been for you to track Tyler's development on the golf course?

Dave: It has been an amazing journey to be able to see Tyler grow as a young man and as a tournament golfer. Golf is a VERY humbling game and it teaches those who play it about honesty, the value of practicing with a purpose and how to be resilient in the short term and long term.

Was there a particular point in Tyler's developement on the golf course that you thought he could play at the Pac 12 level if he wanted to?

Dave: Yes. It was the 2006 WJGA State Tournament. Tyler was 12, and he was well under 5 feet tall and about 90 pounds. He was playing against 13 year old boys who were a foot taller than him but he was the leader after the second day. He ended up in third place but it showed us (and Tyler) that he could accomplish great things on the golf course if he kept on practicing and improving.

Have you played the Washington National Golf Course before, and if so, any thoughts on the course?

Tyler: Yes. I used to take lessons there, and that's where I met coach Thurmond. I love the course; it’s a great challenge.

The University of Washington has a state-of-the-art indoor golf facility inside Alaska Airlines Arena. What are your thoughts on that and playing Pac-12 level golf next fall?

Tyler: The indoor facility is amazing to anyone that hasn’t seen it, and it is definitely worth checking out. As far as playing Pac-12 golf, I am excited to be challenged more than I ever have been. It's a different level of competition in the Pac-12 and I am ready to make the next step.

How has the Enumclaw experience been for you golf-wise and how has it helped you in your quest to play college golf?

Tyler: It has been an awesome four years. As far as on the course, most of my learning came previous to high school. The biggest thing I have learned in high school is how to play with and around a team. Having never really played a team sport I didn’t know how I would react, but I immediately loved the team aspect and I am looking forward to it in college.

General comments and reflections on the fall golf season for you at Enumclaw?

Tyler: For myself and the team this season was a slight disappointment. We weren’t able to win the league; however I finally started to play well towards the end (30 at home, school record) (17 shot win @ districts) and we are taking three guys to play in the spring. Hopefully we can come back with a win.