Mercer freshman golfer transferring after first semester

The transition to college is different for everyone. Some have no issues moving to a new, unknown place while others yearn for the comfort of home. For Mercer freshman golfer Dylan Deogun, the journey from Orchard Lakes, Michigan, to Macon, Georgia, was not as smooth as he had hoped.

Deogun made the 12-hour trip down to the heart of Georgia to take advantage of the warm conditions during the winter, but in the process, he traded being close to his family.

While he felt right at home on the course during the first few weeks -- Deogun led the team in scoring average at 72.17 after two tournaments -- he felt anything but comfortable while off the links. He missed his family.

So after the team's second tournament, and only six weeks into school, the freshman made his final verdict -- he was transferring from Mercer after the first semester.

"I thought that by coming to Mercer, I would be able to play golf all-year-round and really sort of tune-in my skills and become a way better player, especially playing in the South against some high-ranked teams," Deogun said. "I thought that that would also be a factor: playing against the best.

"It obviously didn't work out that way."

Deogun said the distance from family was a "main concern" for him in the decision to transfer.

But he experienced no trouble finding a new home away from home -- this one was simply 11 hours closer to his family: Michigan State. In order to stay close to his family, Deogun said he only considered Michigan and Michigan State during his search. Because of his play during the summer and the fall, both programs swiftly offered him a spot on the team.

But just like their miraculous last-second victory over the Wolverines in football this season, the Spartans ousted their in-state rival for Deogun.

"Just the combination of how I would fit in there academically, the coaching staff, their golf facilities and their tournament schedule were the main factors in me choosing there instead of other places," Deogun said of Michigan State.

And even though three tournaments still remained in the semester when Deogun told Mercer head coach Kirk Kayden of the transfer decision, the second-year head coach suspended the freshman from all team activities immediately.

"My biggest thing with my guys is I want you to want to be here," Kayden said. "If you don't want to be here, then you obviously need to go somewhere else."

But the Bears struggled once Deogun left the lineup; in the ensuing three tournaments, Mercer placed last, 10th out of 12, and 11th out of 14.

"I think any time you have a transfer, it definitely hits you," Kayden said. "It was difficult because Dylan was a starter. When you have one of your better players -- Dylan obviously got off to a good start this semester."

Athletes transferring during the year -- especially after only one semester at the school -- does occur, according to Mercer athletics director Jim Cole, but it's not commonplace. Athletes getting homesick, on the other hand, isn't unusual.

As a former Mercer baseball player, Cole remembers questioning his decision to go to the university during the fall of his freshman year. And he came from Athens. With that in mind, Cole said the athletics department wants what is best for the athlete.

"Our main goal is, 'What makes Dylan happy?' " Cole said. "That's the ultimate is the young man or young lady and doing what's best for them in life. We'd like for Mercer to be the place, but we're also realistic."

Deogun became only the second player in Kayden's 15-year coaching career to transfer after the first semester. The first was during his tenure at Austin Peay, when an international player left because of the cold weather -- in Tennessee.

Kayden said transferring after the first semester isn't a "normal problem," and he has never really proactively attempted to alleviate homesickness -- until now. According to Kayden, fellow players -- rather than the coach -- can leave a larger impact on making freshmen feel comfortable.

"The coach can't be there with the player 24 hours a day," he said. "So, that's when the players have to step up and make them feel welcome. And that wasn't in Dylan's case at all. The guys were great about that."

From an administrative perspective, Cole said he attempts to develop a personal relationship with all of the new student athletes, even though the number of incomers -- 100-plus -- sometimes "[makes] it impossible to do that with every student athlete."

Deogun will toss aside the orange and black for Michigan State's green and white next semester, and he said the Spartans' head coach, Casey Lubahn, has told him he will have a chance to play in the team's first tournament, the Big Ten Match Play Championship.

And this time, Deogun's hoping to feel at home both on and off the course.

"If I'm obviously not playing well, then he can't play me at the Big Ten Championship and postseason," Deogun said. "But I'm planning on playing well and hopefully making it to regionals."

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Mercer freshman golfer transferring after first semester ."