DALTON – The doubts slowly crept up on Dalton senior Zach Brahler on Tuesday afternoon. Was he good enough, could he make it, was a trip to state in his cards?
Golfing in the Div. III Northeast District at Tannenhauf Golf Club in Alliance, the Bulldog senior answered those questions with a simple bogey putt on hole no. 10. Locked into a three-man playoff for two spots, Brahler delivered when it mattered most and ended any doubts in his own mind.
“I was beyond happy, I mean, I can’t even put into words how happy I was,” said Brahler. “I was so excited. That’s been my entire goal all year is to make it to state one last time.”
Taking it to a playoff, well that wasn’t exactly how he drew it up, but that didn’t change the emotions of the moment afterwards. Heading into hole no. 9, all the Dalton senior needed was to do what he had done nine times already that day: par the hole. Instead, he ended up with a double bogey, putting himself into the three-way playoff with Kaden Schuette (Independence) and Dante Turner (Cardinal Mooney).
“I put way too much stress on myself,” smiled Brahler. “I thought I needed a better score than I did and then I folded under the pressure.”
After the bad hole, he spoke with teammates and his coach before the playoff hole, and then punched his ticket to state.
“A few of them will be showing up to watch me,” said Brahler. “They are so incredibly supportive. I had one teammate, he was screaming in my ear when he called me, he was so happy.
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“It’s tough not to move on without my team, but I just have to do the best I can for them and represent them, my school and my family well.”
For Brahler it’s the pinnacle, it’s the validation that he has been looking for and finally found.
“It was almost like a relieved feeling when I made it,” he said. “Just knowing, all the ups and downs I’ve gone through this year and all my years. The debating, if I was even good enough to make it; just knowing I can do it, that is so relieving.
“I am grateful for the talent that I’ve been blessed to have, the work ethic and to get there. That’s pretty amazing, because there are so many amazing teams and players this year.”
It took a kickstart after last year when the Bulldogs lost in the sectionals, something Brahler took personally. A year removed from a trip to State with his brother Todd and teammates Jaden Schlabach, Brendan Lehman, Isaac Mori and Evan Shisler, to miss districts and beyond, didn’t sit well.
So, Brahler took the loss and in Mamba fashion, used it to fuel him as he worked relentlessly on his game in the offseason. He picked up lessons in the winter, tasked himself with over 15 tournaments, many 2–3-day tournaments over the summer, anything to help him better his game.
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“The last time I went to State, I think we were kind of expecting it,” he said. “We had three phenomenal players, and I was learning. Now, to be doing it by myself, it’s a different feeling, because of the work I had put in, no one did it for me and all the hard work I put in this offseason, it paid off.”
Now the Dalton senior will make the trip on Thursday to play a practice round on NorthStar Golf Course before starting the Div. III State Tournament on Friday. It’s about a 7,000-yard course, that with his improved game, knowledge of the links and understanding of the game, he will look to add the final chapter on an outstanding encore campaign. The doubts have been answered, the validation is there and now all Brahler has to do is simply do what he loves and live out his dream for this year, playing golf at State.
“I am going to step up into every shot and give all my mental energy to each one,” said Brahler. “Obviously I will have some bad shots, but I will leave knowing I didn’t leave anything out there. I put my full effort into it and whatever comes of it, I will be happy with.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Zach Brahler overcomes self-doubt with hard work to earn State berth
