Brugman exiting as one of City League’s golfing greats
Bishop Carroll’s Luke Brugman has had the kind of senior golf season that makes a coach dig into his archives.
Brugman’s 70.7-stroke average in three tournaments against City League competition – an incorrectly signed scorecard cost him a 71 in a fourth – put Carroll coach Mark Berger in research mode.
Berger found that in the last 10 years only former Kapaun Mount Carmel golfers Sam Stevens and Jack Cantele put together scoring averages that matched or surpassed Brugman.
“His performance has been incredible,” Berger said. “I’d like to see him finish that off for his sake.”
That opportunity comes Wednesday at Sim Golf Course, where the Golden Eagles and Kapaun will decide the overall league champion in the City League tournament.
Like last season, Carroll and Kapaun enter the league finale in a dead heat for first place. Both won two of the four regular-season meets involving City League teams, which accounts for half of the method used to determine the league winner. Wednesday’s tournament is the other half.
As the lone varsity returnee from a team that won a Class 5A regional and finished fifth at state, Brugman acknowledges he didn’t see it coming.
“Honestly, not really,” Brugman said. “I don’t really think anyone did. It’s obviously beneficial to us and kind of the opposite from last year when we won the first two meets and (Kapaun) won the last two.
“We had the pressure of trying to finish it off and not blowing it. This year, we’re the ones coming back, and we have everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
Brugman, a left-hander, experienced the transitional shift earlier this season with new varsity teammates like underclassmen Mark and Carson Towey, and Tyler Gatley. The Eagles finished fourth in their season-opening Carroll Invitational, then were on the losing side with Kapaun against St. Thomas Aquinas and St. James Academy in the first Catholic Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event.
“It was kind of just getting their confidence up after the first couple tournaments,” Brugman said. “We kind of got whooped the first two. They bounced back and I’m proud of them for it.”
Brugman led the way with his play. He fired a back-nine 31 en route to a 3-under-par 69 at Consolver to take the top individual spot in the first City meet. Brugman also claimed medalist honors in the second City tournament at MacDonald with a 2-under 70.
“My iron game is 10 times better than it was last year, especially with the wind we’ve had,” Brugman said. “I’ve been able to get a lower ball flight and control it.
“My misses aren’t as bad as they were. And with my short game, I’m confident I can get up and down from anywhere.”
Brugman’s teammates came to the rescue in his lone misstep, when he was disqualified at Clapp for the incorrect scorecard. With sophomore Grant Gooch shooting a 76 and Mark Towey adding a 79, Carroll edged Kapaun by one shot to win the third City meet.
The Eagles pulled even with Kapaun in the last City tournament at Auburn Hills. Led by Brugman’s 73 on a windy day, Carroll posted a four-man total of 312 to win by nine shots, a 24-shot team improvement from its opening tournament on the same course.
“He has been that leader that we’ve needed,” Berger said. “They hear stuff from myself and (assistant) coach (Tony) Gomez all the time. But whenever he has stuff to say, they take that to heart more.”
Brugman, who also posted a top-20 individual finish in a field of nearly 170 golfers at the Hutchinson Invitational, embraced the role. He is hopeful it will pay off Wednesday and in Monday’s 5A regional, which Carroll will host at Auburn Hills.
“I looked at it as an opportunity just to help the other guys out,” Brugman said. “I’ve let them know they’re good players and that we just need to play well together on certain days and we can get it done.”
This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Brugman exiting as one of City League’s golfing greats."