Brownstown Central’s Micah Sheffer chips onto a green during sectional play at Bloomington’s Cascades Golf Course.
Tribune file photo
Micah Sheffer has been playing golf all of his life, so he was more prepared than most when he joined the Brownstown Central boys golf team this spring.
Sheffer admitted it was different playing with people older than him, and despite often being one of the youngest players on the course in any match, he played with a sense of poise and experience.
With a lot of accolades under his belt in just one season, Sheffer has been named The Tribune’s Golfer of the Year.
“It was different playing with a bunch of people a lot older than me, but I had a lot of fun with my friends,” Sheffer said. “We had a great team and made a lot of memories throughout the season.”
From the start, Sheffer played in the Braves’ No. 1 position.
He averaged 36.3 for nine holes and 76 for 18, which both led the team and county.
“I just felt like that I had to set a high standard and make sure I didn’t disappoint,” he said. “I feel like could help my teammates become better and keep pushing them.”
Even though golf can be more of an individual sport at times, Sheffer had a solid cast around him.
The Braves had a lot of accomplishments as a team, such as winning the Mid-Southern Conference for the first time since 2016 and advancing out of sectional as a team for just the third time in school history.
“Going into the season, we had high hopes,” Sheffer said. “Our goal was to start the season and get better every day. We just got comfortable playing with each other.”
In addition to winning the MSC as a team, Sheffer was the individual champion to win the conference.
“It was great,” he said of that moment. “I’m just happy that all the hard work had paid off. It was fun to celebrate it with my family and my team. It was great we won altogether as a team.”
At regional, Brownstown placed sixth as a team and Sheffer shot 73 to place sixth as an individual, and he was just two strokes shy of making it to state.
The IHSAA changed how many individuals advanced to state this season. It used to be 25, but this year, it was just 12 individuals as more teams got out of regional.
“I’m just ready to go back at it next year and during this offseason just continue to get better,” Sheffer said. “I know what the score is (to get to state) and what I have to do to get there. I’ve just got to put the time and work in to get there.”
Sheffer said he just wants to get more consistent everywhere in his game. He wants to get less bogeys, less penalties and less “dumb stuff” to help keep his scores up. He also wants to get his putter dialed in for next season.
A few weeks ago, Sheffer won the Optimist Junior Tour at Deer Creek Golf Club, shooting 1-under par to qualify for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship in Miami, Florida.
Sheffer has played that course before in Miami, but never in this event. It will take place July 19 to 24.
“I’d just like to go down there, put together some good scores, three days of good golf, might get a hot putter and hopefully come home with a victory,” he said.
Sheffer also plays basketball and football, so he has to find time for his golf game in between those practices.
Sheffer played a role in the basketball team’s semistate title appearance last season, and he will likely see a bigger role on the gridiron this fall, as well.
He said he loves all three sports, but golf is still his No. 1.
“It’s a lot to juggle three sports, but whenever I don’t have basketball, I find time to play golf,” he said. “I still try to putt and hit on the simulator when I do have practice.”
Of the five Braves who played varsity this spring in golf, only one was a senior.
With a lot of players coming back, Sheffer is excited to see what the team can do in 2024.
“I’m so excited. Everybody is just putting in the time right now and really working on their game,” he said. “Hopefully, we get a good No. 5 for next year, and if we just get four good scores every time, hopefully, we can win conference again, maybe win or get second at sectional and hopefully we get out of regional next year.”
Remaining members of The Tribune’s 2023 All-County Golf Team:
Manny Fontanez, Sr., Seymour: 41 average for nine holes, 85 for 18.
Caiden Gwin, Jr., Brownstown Central: 40.1 average for nine holes, 83.1 for 18, MSC champ, regional qualifier.
Ty Stuckwisch, Sr., Seymour: 43 average for nine holes, 87 for 18.
Matthew Reedy, So., Brownstown Central: 40.55 average for nine holes, 83.75 for 18, MSC champ, regional qualifier.
Smith Hackman, So., Brownstown Central: 43.7 average for nine holes, 87.25 for 18, MSC champ, regional qualifier.
Jack Stuckwisch, Fr., Trinity Lutheran: 44 average for nine holes, 91 for 18.
Chandler Stahl, Sr., Brownstown Central: 42 average for nine holes, 83 for 18, MSC champ, regional qualifier.
Luke Baker, Fr., Seymour: 42.5 average for nine holes, 88 for 18.