When Brooks Thoele found out that Trinity Lutheran was looking for a new girls’ golf coach, he told his wife (Monica), and she encouraged him to apply for the job.

“I reached out (to Trinity athletic director Jason Roeder) and it just kind of went from there,” Thoele said. This is his first year as a golf coach.

There are two girls on the roster, sophomore Jennifer Jones and freshman Naomi McKinley.

“I’ve had Jennifer out here (Shadowood Golf Course) and worked with the basic swing fundamentals. I gave her a couple pointers like ‘don’t lift your head,’ ‘keep your left heel from lifting up on your backswing.’ Just the basics.

“Five or six wings after that she was hitting it pretty well. I’ve got her doing some putting drills. I’m hoping.”

She played golf at Immanuel Lutheran School.

Thoele said he was hoping to meet with McKinley during the weekend. “We’ll see where she’s at.”

“Obviously, etiquette is a big deal, and the most important part is that they are actually having fun. I don’t want to overload them,” he said.

Thoele, is a 2007 graduate of Seymour High School where he played golf for Coach Brian Rodman.

“Golf is my favorite sport,” he said. “I like the peace and quiet of the game. You are your own opponent on the course.

“Obviously, you play with people but the biggest competition is yourself. One thing in high school I took pride in, even if I hit a bad shot, I stayed positive. You get to meet people.”

He said he enjoyed playing rounds with professionals Tyler Duncan and Chris Baker.

“I just want to build their confidence built and for them to be out there enjoying themselves. It’s definitely going to be a building yea, not only for the girls but for me. I will learn as I go and Jason seems to be pretty good about helping out where he can.”

The Cougars are entered in the Seymour Invitational on Tuesday, but Thoele said Saturday he wasn’t sure if Jones is going to play. This meet officially kicks off the season for Trinity Lutheran.