Junior Ty Deterding placed fifth as the Cardinals boys golf team battled at the Jefferson West Invitational Tuesday.
Head coach Susan DeVoe said the team struggled to clock their best scores on a day filled with wind, slow greens and post-prom malaise. The Cardinals finished in fifth as a team, just two strokes behind Rossville.
Deterding, who medaled at state last season, finished with score of a 78 (+6). He played with a couple of golfers who were neck and neck through all 18 holes. He said that helps push him to improve.
“When they make a birdie, I want to make a birdie,” Deterding said. “When I see them make a putt, I want to do the same. So, I like playing with guys that will beat me, trying to make me better.”
Despite finding success with his wedges and irons, Deterding struggled at times with the short game. The greens at the course were slower than he was used to, forcing him to have to adjust. He left a couple of critical putts just short.
He said, mentally, he had to focus to make sure a couple of close misses didn’t derail his score. His focus led him to a top-five finish out of nearly 40 golfers.
“Take it slowly, every shot,” he said. “Don’t keep focusing on the bad shots, try to focus on the good ones, and then always focus on the next shot.”
Overall, DeVoe said the team needs to continue working to strengthen its mentality.
“Mostly just being able to stay out of our heads and just play golf,” she said. “Play each hole and learn how to forget. It’s so hard. I’m still learning myself. But if they don’t do that, if they stay in their head, it will just be bad. They will not shoot good shots or scores. And I know that’s what they want.”
Junior Brayden Chappelle said his day started slowly, but he found his rhythm late to clock a score of 92 (+20). His mentality was key for him to improve throughout the day.
“Once you get in a groove, just continue doing the things you’re doing right,” he said. “The things you’re doing wrong, just don’t think about them.”
Following the two juniors on the leaderboard was sophomore Brady Von Holten, who scored 96 (+24). Junior Cayden Dittmer scored 98 (+26) and senior Jett Watterson scored 100 (+28). Senior Ethan Rash finished with a score of 110 (+38).
As the team begins focusing on the league tournament this week, followed by regionals and state in May, they’ll continue working on the mental side of the game.
“Definitely being more consistent and getting off to a hot start,” Chappelle said. “Not playing really bad to start and then picking it up.”
DeVoe said that’s a key first step to any success the team might be looking toward in the postseason.
“Reinforce positive thinking,” she said. “Just stop getting in your head. And if you have a bad shot, it’s one bad shot, one bad hole. There is still more to play.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
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