Boys golf preview: Five players to watch

Pick a sport in which a young newcomer immediately excels and inevitably that athlete’s naivety will be spotlighted as a strength in dealing with challenges.

So it was two years ago for Andover golfer Zach Sokolosky, when he began his high school career with a 1-under-par 71 and a second-place finish in the Trojans’ home tournament at Crestview Country Club.

“My freshman year, I just came in kind of blank,” Sokolosky said. “My first tournament, I didn’t realize I’d beaten a guy who had committed to play at KU by eight shots.”

Sokolosky did, and he has continued to be a key part of Andover’s success. The Trojans open their season Monday by hosting the Andover Invitational, a tournament that Sokolosky won last year by four shots.

Sokolosky, a long-hitting left-hander, is one of four varsity returnees for coach Ryan Harshaw. The Trojans, state qualifiers each of the last four seasons, finished fourth in 5A last spring. Sokolosky, a top-20 finisher as a freshman, was third individually last year at Emporia Municipal, four shots behind medalist Wells Padgett of Maize South.

“Finishing third at state was good,” Sokolosky said. “I was just kind of disappointed in how I got there. I was 2 under through six and then I went out after a rain delay and started bogey, bogey, bogey. That just killed me.”

From the oblivious early days to a state tournament battle scar, Sokolosky is now trying to learn from and gain experience. At the midway point of his high school career, Sokolosky has started thinking beyond with hopes of playing at the NCAA Division I level.

Sokolosky’s summer schedule included four American Junior Golf Association events. During the winter, he played in three Texas Junior Golf Tour tournaments, qualifying for its tour championship at Horseshoe Bay Resort in February.

Sokolosky’s offseason also included instruction from Joey Wuertemberger at the Jim McLean Golf Center in Fort Worth.

“A lot of it was college golf prep work,” Sokolosky said. “We made a couple swing changes that took out a pull-draw ball flight, and now a cut is definitely an option. My chipping and putting have gotten way better, too.”

For all his investment toward long-term goals, Sokolosky said a simple approach will serve him best this spring.

“I think just focusing on myself when I’m on the course is one of the best things I can do,” he said. “If I approach it that way, the team will perform better if I perform better. It all kind of makes sense that way.”

Other top golfers to watch:

Rose Hill junior Peyton Austin: Austin has been a key contributor to Rose Hill’s second-place 4A finishes each of the last two seasons. After three top players graduated, he inherits the lead role. The younger son of PGA Champions Tour player Woody Austin tied for 15th at state last May and posted rounds in the 70s in both state appearances. “Peyton will lead the group,” Rose Hill coach Steve Siemens said. “We hope he can encourage his teammates to get enough reps for us to be competitive in the team scores.”

Kapaun sophomore Jack Baker: Competition for the Crusaders’ six varsity spots is frequently fierce, but Baker has staked a solid claim. He finished sixth at last year’s 5A tournament – best by a Kapaun golfer – and carried the momentum through the summer by winning the city junior title at Sim with a 36-hole total of 3-under 139. “His forte is he plays without fear and can pull off shots,” Kapaun coach Dan Harrison said. “He just thinks he can get up and down from anywhere, and more often than not, he can.”

Carroll senior Luke Brugman: Brugman was the lone underclassman on a team that won a challenging 5A regional and finished fifth at state last spring. He tied for third at the City League tournament to earn all-league first team honors and was in the top seven at five other tournaments. “Other than playing at a high level, which Luke has worked very hard to get where he is at, he will also need to be the voice of experience and help our younger players learn how to handle the pressure,” Carroll coach Mark Berger said.

Maize South senior Wells Padgett: After winning the 5A individual title last season, Padgett enters the spring among the 4A favorites with the Mavericks’ shift in classifications. The Auburn signee posted a 70.6 scoring average last season and swept league, regional and state medalist honors. He also won an AJGA event and reached the match-play portion of the U.S. Junior Amateur last summer. “He has been playing well in practice and I look for another outstanding year,” Maize South coach Steve Martling said.

This story was originally published March 31, 2017 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Boys golf preview: Five players to watch."