News
ENLARGE
NEW CASTLE — A new swing coach and a growth spurt have done wonders for Dylan Mitchell's golf game.
The Summit High School student, who's grown from a 5-foot-4 sophomore into a 6-foot junior, shot a 3-under-par 69 to win Friday's Coal Ridge High-hosted boys golf tournament at Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club in New Castle.
With a little coaching, Mitchell has elevated his game to a new level of late.
“I went to a new swing coach,” Mitchell said. “He changed a lot of my swing and changed my grip. He's helped me mentally, too. I used to get really upset. Now, I'm more easy-going and positive.”
The sudden growth spurt has helped, too. After a brief adjustment period, anyway.
“It's made me stronger,” Mitchell said. “It was interesting at the time. I didn't really know what to do. I just had to work through it with a lot of repetition. There was about a month where I couldn't break 80. … I went to talk to my coach and he told me to make everything a little tighter. Slowly, the scores dropped down into the 60s and 70s.”
Mitchell certainly seemed well adjusted to his new frame on Friday, turning in a 4-under-par 32 on the front nine.
“I putted really well,” he said. “I made a ton of putts on the front. … I had four birdies, an eagle and a double.”
That eagle fell on the par-4 eighth hole. A 15-foot putt sealed it.
“That was the best nine-hole score I've ever had,” Mitchell said. “It was cool. Everything was clicking.”
Vail Christian freshman Cooper Gould nearly matched Mitchell's effort, turning in a 2-under-par 70 at Lakota to finish second.
“I was just trying to play it straight and make a few putts,” Gould said. “My course management was pretty good. I was keeping it relatively straight on the fairway.”
With Evan Streit's 78 and Nick Wittrock's 84, Summit High took fourth overall.
The Summit High School student, who's grown from a 5-foot-4 sophomore into a 6-foot junior, shot a 3-under-par 69 to win Friday's Coal Ridge High-hosted boys golf tournament at Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club in New Castle.
With a little coaching, Mitchell has elevated his game to a new level of late.
“I went to a new swing coach,” Mitchell said. “He changed a lot of my swing and changed my grip. He's helped me mentally, too. I used to get really upset. Now, I'm more easy-going and positive.”
The sudden growth spurt has helped, too. After a brief adjustment period, anyway.
“It's made me stronger,” Mitchell said. “It was interesting at the time. I didn't really know what to do. I just had to work through it with a lot of repetition. There was about a month where I couldn't break 80. … I went to talk to my coach and he told me to make everything a little tighter. Slowly, the scores dropped down into the 60s and 70s.”
Mitchell certainly seemed well adjusted to his new frame on Friday, turning in a 4-under-par 32 on the front nine.
“I putted really well,” he said. “I made a ton of putts on the front. … I had four birdies, an eagle and a double.”
That eagle fell on the par-4 eighth hole. A 15-foot putt sealed it.
“That was the best nine-hole score I've ever had,” Mitchell said. “It was cool. Everything was clicking.”
Vail Christian freshman Cooper Gould nearly matched Mitchell's effort, turning in a 2-under-par 70 at Lakota to finish second.
“I was just trying to play it straight and make a few putts,” Gould said. “My course management was pretty good. I was keeping it relatively straight on the fairway.”
With Evan Streit's 78 and Nick Wittrock's 84, Summit High took fourth overall.
