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Torey Brummett is practically starting all over again.
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| Torey Brummett |
Last fall and spring, the 2009 Cardinal Stritch graduate was a freshman on Owens Community College's men's golf team. The Express, coached by Waite graduate Gil Guerrero, took second place at the OCCAC tournament.
Brummett averaged 76.5 strokes for 18 holes last season.
“It was a really good experience,” he said. “We had a really good team and a lot of talent. I think I handled it pretty well. It's a big step up from high school to college golf. I didn't play as well as I'd like to - you never do – but I played all right. We had six to seven tournaments in the fall and seven or eight in the spring. You kind of get burned out toward the end of the year, so you take a couple weeks' break and get right back at it.”
Brummett, 19, was one of the best golfers in Cardinal Stritch history. As a junior, he tied for ninth individually at the 2007 Division III state tournament in Columbus.
During a tournament last season at Owens, Brummett struck up a conversation with Bowling Green State University men's golf coach Garry Winger. The coach soon offered Brummett a chance to play golf for the Falcons and play his way into earning an athletic scholarship.
“I was trying to get some (Division I) schools to give me a look and an opportunity to play,” Brummett said. “He agreed to give me that opportunity.”
Brummett said he will move in at BGSU on Aug. 20.
“I'm really excited,” he said. “Qualifying for the first tournament starts that week, and the first practice will start then. Our first tournament is Sept. 14 at BG.”
Brummett said he will not receive any financial aid in 2010-11, when he will be a sophomore eligibility-wise. Winger, whose team finished ninth at the Mid-American Conference tournament last season, told Brummett he will have to earn a scholarship spot on the roster.
“If I have a really good season, maybe top three on the team, maybe then we will talk about them giving me some money,” Brummett said. “There are so many good guys coming in ... They're just giving me an opportunity to prove myself. I just have to go out there and do it.”
To prepare for his first season at BG, the 6-3, 215-pound Brummett is playing lots of golf this summer – primarily at Belmont Country Club and at Eagles Landing.
“I'm usually playing every day of the week,” Brummett said. “I'm a member at Eagles Landing, but I've been playing just about anywhere I can. Every once in a while I give myself a break. Maybe one day. It's an everyday grind. That's the only way you can get better.
“I go to a trainer at Cynergy three days a week in Sylvania, mostly for conditioning and strength training. I have a little bit more stamina. I just want to get myself stronger to hit the ball straighter and a little farther. I'm a little over 300 (yards) off the tee, which is probably a good 20 yards better than when I was in high school.”
Brummett said he's learning to master more of the mental aspect of golf, particularly when it comes to competing in team tournaments.
“It's just a matter of being more tournament tough,” he said. “It's about being more smart, as in how to play your game and making more pars and being conservative and not playing the big risk-reward shot. As you keep playing the game and getting better, you learn better ways to conserve your shots and picking up ways to not throw away shots.
“When you get down to the nitty gritty, it's always one or two shots that decide the tournament or that can help your team. You always want to be there for your team.”
Brummett, who said he will major in sports management with a minor in marketing at BG, is confident his golf game will measure up against future MAC rivals.
“I've been working all summer on my game,” he said. “You just have to go in there and do the best you can and whatever happens, happens. As much work as I've put in, it should pay off. These guys are good players, and this year's (BG) team should be really solid.”
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