A fresh perspective has been brought to the ISU men’s golf team with the addition of assistant coach Peter Laws.

Laws, 31, brings to the table a decorated collegiate career at Kent State, where he was a three-time first-team Mid-American Conference selection, as well as co-MAC player of the year following his senior season.

Following his college career, Laws also played as a touring professional for seven years on multiple different tours.

In July, Laws competed at the RBC Canadian Open, a PGA Tour event in his home country of Canada. Although he missed the mid-tournament cut, his two-round score of 148 bested notable professionals such as Hunter Mahan, Robert Karlsson and Woody Austin.

“I’ve played in [PGA] Tour and Web.com Tour events, and I know some of the guys that are out there all the time,” Laws said. “I think I can help the players by giving them that player’s perspective.”

Along with his starts on the PGA and Web.com tours, the two biggest professional tours in the U.S., Laws has also played professionally on minor league circuits such as the Gateway Tour, the Canadian Tour and Tour de las Americas.

Although Laws has amassed many years of playing experience, making the immediate jump from player to first-time coach will come as an adjustment.

“I think the challenge will be adjusting from it all being about me [as an individual golfer] and now it’s not,” Laws said. “Now, I’m trying to communicate with the guys certain things that I see and to help them get better.”

Amid the transition, the ISU golfers have benefited from a second set of eyes, a luxury not had last year as head coach Andrew Tank was the only coach on staff for the 2012-13 season.

“He brings a player’s aspect because he’s been professional for awhile, he’s got a lot of knowledge about playing the game and preparing and all that good stuff,” said junior Sam Daley. “He’s been a breath of fresh air around the place.”

Although Laws is classified as an assistant coach, the work relationship between him and Tank has been fairly equal.

“He’s not really telling me what to do all the time: He asks me what I think; I ask what he thinks,” Laws said. “We kind of put our heads together and try to make the best decision possible for the team.”

A similar mantra applies for the player-coach relationship found within the team.

“You get a different point of view with each of them,” said junior Scott Fernandez. “They make a really good team. You have a closer relationship, it’s more of a friendship. You can be open about your flaws, your feelings, everything.”