2010 Junior Review
Daniel WineThe 2010 season was a banner year for junior golf at Lakeview, and it was a banner year for Daniel Wine. Daniel followed up a winter and spring of hard work with a clean-sweep in the Lakeview junior programs this summer—he was the Tournament Players’ Series (TPS) Champion, the Lakeview Junior Club Champion, and the points-leader on the Lakeview Junior Tour. Add to this the fact that Daniel was a top-10 player in the Massanutten District as a freshman at Spotswood, and it amounts to one of the most impressive seasons I’ve ever seen among junior golfers.
Speaking of freshmen, the theme of high school golf in this region in 2010 had to be the young talent that burst onto the scene—perhaps the best class to pass through the central Shenandoah Valley. Kyle Templeton and Matt Shifflett at Harrisonburg; Ocean Armstrong and Drew Diaz at Broadway; Daniel Wine, Cole Delucas, and Jordan Kirkwood at Spotswood; and Nathan Landes at Fort Defiance. These were all players who were able to jump into high school golf and contribute to their teams as freshmen, and several were able to shake up the District.
Kyle TempletonKyle Templeton finished only three shots behind the District Player of the Year; he led his team to both the regular-season and district championships; finished second on the Lakeview Junior Tour (missing the championship by one point); ran away with the 14-15 year-old division of the First Citizens Junior Tour; shot 69 to win a regular-season high school tournament, tied for medalist in the District Tournament (shooting 73), and became known as the most deadly putter in the District. Perhaps more importantly, Kyle also won the Sportsmanship Award for both the Lakeview and First Citizens tours. Who said nice guys don’t win?
Matt ShifflettMatt Shifflett was the other half of the freshman one-two punch that brought two trophies to Harrisonburg High. Matt finished 4th in the TPS in 2010 despite missing a good part of the season while playing basketball and baseball; and he finished 5th on the First Citizens Tour despite playing only half the events; posted a low-score of 73 in the final match of the season, and made the All-District Team (finishing 5th in scoring). This is a young man who shot in the 100s two years ago, and who will likely letter in three varsity sports in high school—a true athlete, and a coach’s dream.
Ocean ArmstrongOcean Armstrong, half of the freshman dynamic-duo at Broadway, plays golf like the game owes him something. He doesn’t hit the ball as far as some people, has a few extra moving parts in the putting stroke, and had to work hard on his body/arm connection this year--but he plays with a love of the game, and without fear, which helped him stand out in 2010 when he finished 4th in District scoring. He also finished 2nd in the TPS, tied for 3rd in the Lakeview Junior Tour, 5th (out of 26 players) on the First Citizens Tour, and qualified for the high school Regional Tournament (which he led for most of the front-nine). Not a bad start to his high school career!
Drew DiazDrew Diaz came to Broadway looking better than most freshmen, and finished the season looking better than most of the District. In his first high school match Drew had a pair of putts on the final two holes that, had they fallen, would have given him a share of the medal—and this took place at Lakeview, where his 78 was something like 14 shots better than he’d ever done before on that course! Drew, who draws some of his toughness from wrestling (like his father), did not participate in the junior tours in 2010, and less-often in the TPS than he did in the past—but he was able to qualify for the Regional Tournament, and he made it clear that he may wrestle in the 103 or 112 weight class, but he plays golf with the big boys.
Cole DelucasCole Delucas got involved in the junior programs at Lakeview in the spring of 2010, and got off to a great start in high school by posting an early-season 78 for the Blazers. He was well on his way to establishing himself as another freshman phenomena (boasting the 4th best scoring average on the First Citizens Tour) when he suffered a jet-skiing injury that ended his season. His Spotswood teammates, and all of us at Lakeview, missed him during his long recovery, and we are hoping to see him back in form for the 2011 season!
Jordan KirkwoodJordan Kirkwood started spending so much time at Lakeview in 2010 that he became my unofficial assistant, fetching golf balls and picking up range baskets as needed. He also started getting more serious about learning the game of golf. He finished top-15 in both the TPS and First Citizens Tour even though he only sporadically participated, and he finished tied for 6th on the Lakeview Junior Tour. But more importantly in his freshman season at Spotswood, Jordan began to mature and show the kind of work ethic that makes a great golfer. And he is making a statement entering the 2010-2011 TPS season—he leads the points after the first month and a half!
Nathan Landes of Fort Defiance, rounds out the amazing freshman class of 2010. He flew under the radar by focusing on private instruction rather than the TPS or junior tours; and he entered high school having to compete for a very limited number of spots on the Fort squad. But he not only qualified for varsity, he posted much-needed scores in the mid-80s and was a pivotal member of the team. Nathan is the kind of guy who goes about his business quietly, and with a lively sense of humor; and he is the kind of guy who makes one heck of a golfer.
Robbie FailesThis group of high school freshmen are a tough act to follow — and one young local golfer, now a sophomore at Spotswood High School, had a chore in following his own act as a freshman in 2009 — arguably the best freshman season in District history. Some might say he had a sophomore slump in 2010; so here’s what a sophomore slump looks like for Robbie Failes: one tournament and one win on the MAPGA Junior Tour; one tournament and one win on the Capital Area Junior Tour; one tournament and one win on the First Citizens Tour; qualifying for one of ten spots to represent Virginia against Maryland (by making a 40-foot putt in a playoff) as a member of the Capital Cup Team; finishing as a quarter-finalist in the Bobby Bowers Memorial after qualifying as a #3-seed; winning the camp tournament at Jerry Haas’ Wake Forest Junior Camp; winning 5 of 6 regular-season District matches; Massanutten District Player of the Year for the second time in two seasons; co-medalist in the District Championship; All-Regional Team; and qualifier for the State Championship. Junior golfers dream of slumps like that, and Robbie's coach is more proud than ever.
Jack Burden is a well-rounded junior at Harrisonburg High who helped his team win their two titles, and finished 7th in the district despite missing the early part of the season with other activities and travel. Over the past few years, Jack has been one of the most consistent performers I've ever seen (every score he posted in the District season was within two shots of 79!) and his upper-classman stability was crucial for the young Streaks team.
Connor JonesFifth-place in the TPS (and the top-finisher in the younger age bracket) went to Lane Bazzle, a young buck with a love for golf and an astounding ability to strike a golf ball. He had the lowest score in 9 of 10 junior events in his age bracket on two tours in 2010, and he looks to be a dominant player for years to come….Sam Clarke took 7th in the TPS in 2010, starting the season with the dedicated few who showed up for indoor practices at the Wellness Center. Sam’s ball-striking and scoring improved greatly this season, and I think he will fit in nicely with that strong Harrisonburg team when the time comes.
Some of the younger TPS participants at the annual season-ending dinner at Outback.A steady and always good-natured participant in the Lakeview Junior Tour, Collin Jessie tied for 7th in the TPS, and managed to keep his swing in good shape even through baseball season….Shaina “Tink” Beach finished 9th in the TPS, but snuck up and won the younger age bracket in the Lakeview Junior Tour (finishing 4th in the points among all age brackets!); and even though her golf bag weighs about as much as she does, she turns heads at the driving range with her beautiful swing.
Matt Brimmer, another good ball-striker for such a young age, was a steady participant on the TPS, and he came in second in the younger age bracket on the Lakeview Junior Tour….Addison Ritchie worked hard on his backswing, and started to see more distance as he grew taller….Will Thompson joined the younger group of the TPS as well in 2010, while brother Eric decided to start preparing for high school golf at Spotswood next year….Emma Pray was a welcome addition when she was able to make practices as well.
Our junior programs saw a lot of new faces in 2010, including Jonathon Koontz who managed to sneak out a top-10 in the TPS despite a late start, and who is preparing for golf at Stonewall next year….Doug Bohlin joined us from the Richmond area when he was in town….Troupe Armentrout came in from Colorado and was one of the top players in the Massanutten District, helped lead Harrisonburg to their titles, and had the lowest scores of all District players at the Regional and State tournaments; and he’s just a sophomore!
Junior golfers practice one of their favorite putting drills, the Firing Line.Bryce Harlow, Malachi Dean, Jordan Maddra, and Clay & Bryce Miller were all new faces in the Lakeview programs, and all will be stronger players for their respective high school teams next year….Bryce Morris has a good chance to take over the third spot at Broadway when he gets there next fall….Among the younger group, some of the new participants were Ben Moomaw, Jack Sherwood, Carlton Hutcheson, Derien Smith, and Trent Wetsel….Jaden Harman came on the scene with an already impressive swing, and Braxton Harrison looks like he will carry on the good golf played by his father and grandfather….Ben Bellamy and Ty Kauffman were not involved in my junior groups, but they were welcome additions on my practice tee.
Shelby EstesLikewise, some of the older juniors came for private lessons even though they did not participate in the group sessions: Brett Smiley battled through some balance issues with good humor, and ever-quiet Donnie Erb posted some much-needed scores for the Blazers. Donnie went from shooting in the 100s two years ago to the low 80s, and even into the 70s a few times, before he finished his senior season at Spotswood….It was a pleasure to get to work a little with Brandon Fitzwater and Adam Frazier as well….One of the best athletes in the District, and a cornerstone of the Turner Ashby squad, Shelby Estes, did not take instruction at Lakeview in 2010, but she will always be a part of the “Badger Squad” and I am always happy for her success, including a solid showing at the Girls’ State Tournament in October.
As I sneak up on my 40th birthday, I appreciate all the young golfers who trust me to be their coach. They keep me feeling young, and they are the highlight of my job—whether it’s the antics of our TPS practices, travelling to watch them compete, playing my head-to-head matches with the older crew, celebrating their achievements, being “adopted” into their families, or just spending an hour one-on-one at the range hitting balls. I am thankful for the opportunity to do this for a living.