For the 10th time in the past 11 seasons — excluding the COVID-postponed year — the USF men's golf team has qualified for the NCAA Regionals. The Bulls begin play Monday at The Ohio State University's Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio, looking to finish in the top five of the 13-team field for qualification into the NCAA Championships.
 

Pretty good accomplishment.
 

And yet …
 

"We have underachieved and not performed at our best level,'' said Bulls head coach Steve Bradley, whose team finished fourth in the American Conference Championships. "We haven't been able to put it together for all three rounds. We had 10 regular-season events and played nine different lineups. We've never had a season like that.
 

"There has been change. There have been bumps and bruises along the way. There has been growth. I'm optimistic that our best is still to come.''
 

Wilhelm Ryding, USF's top player, can relate to that concept.
 

"Golf is a lot like life,'' said Ryding, who grew up just outside of Stockholm, Sweden, passionate about hockey, believing his true ambition was the NHL. Once golf hooked him, though, it didn't let go.
 

Ryding — everyone calls him "Willie'' — is a testament to the values of persistence, self-awareness, consistency and maturity. During his first year, Ryding wouldn't follow Bradley's instruction. After a poor tournament, Ryding "practiced himself to death'' or simply worked on the things he wanted, not what was needed.
 

Last season, Bradley had a heart-to-heart talk with Ryding, who was receptive. The coach began walking with his player, filling his head with positive strategy and confidence-building tips.
 

"Everything began to click,'' Ryding said. "He (Bradley) didn't stop walking with me. I made better decisions. I avoided those stupid mistakes. And the results started to come.''
 

Ryding, the American Conference Player of the Year, led USF with a 69.9 stroke average and he's ranked No. 61 in the NCAA. He was eighth at the American Championships (after finishing tied for fourth last season) with a 9-under-par 207.
 

In 29 rounds, Ryding has shot 13 times in the 60s and finished with a par round or better 24 times. He has twice finished second individually, including the Gators Invitational, where he was 7-under (including a second-round 65, tying his career-best round).
 

Ryding describes himself as a "feel player,'' often relying on his instincts and creativity, usually more prone to go for it instead of playing it safe. He's long off the tee, giving himself opportunities to play short iron shots to the green. His putting has been off-and-on, and Ryding acknowledges his continued work in that area.

"Willie has been great for us, really becoming somebody who we can count on,'' Bradley said. "We graduated Jake (Peacock) and Shuby (Shubham Jaglan) after last year and Willie was our third-best player. You wanted to see if Willie could step into the prominent role and he has definitely done that.
 

"He has had the chance to win (a tournament) a couple of times. He's close and he's extremely frustrated he hasn't gotten that done. Some of it is physical, but a lot of it is mental. He gets himself in position over the last nine holes, then I think he kind of ratchets up the pressure on himself and internalizes it too much. He's continuing to work on it and continuing to get better.''
 

Ryding said he was attracted to USF by "the weather, the coaches and the fact that a fellow Swede was here.'' That would be Nino Palmquist. In turn, Palmquist connected to the Bulls through his relationship with Albin Bergstrom, a three-time All-American and one of the top players in USF program history.
 

Ryding said he aspires to be mentioned alongside Bradley's best USF players, a group that includes the likes of Bergstrom, Jake Peacock, Claudio Correa (all American Conference Players of the Year) and Chase Koepka (a USF Athletic Hall of Famer).
 

"The guys who know me, they know I really want to win and I want my team to win,'' said Ryding, a psychology major. "There's nothing that gets me going or inspires me more than winning. Having a winning attitude and doing the right things — for myself and my team — I'd like to be remembered for that.''
 

With another USF year ahead (and maybe two in the ever-changing college sports climate), Ryding is well on his way toward luminary status at USF, Bradley said.
 

Bradley and Ryding both remember last season, when the Bulls finished second (in a playoff with Charlotte) at the American Conference Championships, then got hot in the Regionals and made the final NCAA Championships field. Bradley said it's like starting from scratch. It's about performance, not rankings.
 

"If Willie has a nice postseason here in the NCAA Regionals and hopefully beyond, then has another nice year, he certainly can be (remembered) as one of the top four or five players to come through here at USF,'' Bradley said. "He has all the tools. He has had a really good year and he has the potential to do even more.
 

"Even though you're looking at individual records and individual scoring averages and how many (tournament) wins did they have, I think the true measure of a player is what the team has accomplished. Willie has done his job and become more of a leader. If you produce in the big moments and lead your team, that's what sets you apart. Willie has at least another year left and he can be as good as he wants to be.''
 

As for USF's team overall, there's also a chance to enhance its reputation.
 

"We fell short during the regular season, but I think our standards and expectations are so high that the floor is still pretty high,'' Bradley said. "We've done a good job with this program by elevating what the standards are. I'm proud of that.
 

"When you recruit to that, the players see it and the recruits see it. Not only do we have great facilities, great weather and great schedule, but we're going to play in the postseason each and every year. That's what you want to do and we still have a chance to have a very memorable season.''