Jared Deines shoots 174 at State Golf Tournament

Junior Jared Deines qualified for the Class 4A state golf tournament in Polk City by scoring a 75 at Districts on Oct. 1 at Elmcrest Country Club; however, he did not place at the State tournament last weekend.
In the chilly weather at the state tournament in Polk City, he shot an 84 in his first round and a 90 in his second round for a total of 174. The medalist at State was sophomore Matthew Walker from Ottumwa who shot a 141.
To stay in the individual playoff hunt after Districts, he kept his practice the same, just focussing more on a few key things preparing for State. “I went out to the golf course every day after school and worked on both the putting and driving range. This wasn’t anything different. The only thing was that I didn’t have the team with me to practice with.”
With scores changing constantly and not knowing exactly what a good qualifying score would be, Deines stayed positive and played his best, hoping that he could get a low score during the qualifying round. “In Districts you don’t know what score is going to qualify you for State, so I was out there trying to put a low number on the board and hope for the best.”
Deines said he knew what he wanted to achieve going into State. “My goals going into State were to put two scores in the 70s on the board; however, I didn’t know what to expect from the course and have not played in that kind of weather for a while.”
Although the conditions were tough and the stakes were high, Deines had the mentality to get back up and keep moving forward. “When I got into a bind out on the course, I just tried to stay positive. I tried to keep a smile at my face at all times.”
Participating in State is a great opportunity for Deines because he is able to see some of the best golfers in Class 4A and see how they play, but also Deines said he was able to compare himself to them and possibly change or add things that might work for him.
Although not pleased with his performance, Deines knows that there will be next year to qualify. Dedicating his practice time to keep improving for another shot next year to be able to qualify for State.
Deines said senior captain Alec Braun has also made a significant impact on him and the team’s performance throughout the season. “I was very disappointed in my performance this year. It was very hard to stay positive and all throughout it was a struggle. However there’s always next year.”