To say that Olivia Braun is always a threat to win any golf tournament she is in would be par for the course. However, the Aberdeen Central standout often shoots rounds much lower than that.

Braun is wrapping up her final high school season in stellar fashion, having won all but three tournaments this spring and not finishing outside the top three in any of them. At one stage her average score was three strokes under par.

Braun has grown up on a golf course, literally.

“We used to live on hole number nine at Rolling Hills, so when I was younger, my mom would take me out and we’d putt on the greens before I can even remember,” Braun said. “And then my grandpa got me into First Tee and that’s kind of where it stems from.”

Braun used to compete in two different sports, before settling on one.

“I used to play basketball and golf, but as I had grown from seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade, I kind of saw that golf was my sport,” Braun said. “I just started to love it. I kept practicing. I just wanted to be the best I could.”

Braun soon became a cornerstone on one of the top teams in South Dakota. The Golden Eagles won the Class AA state championship last season and will be favored to defend their title at the state tournament today and tomorrow in Watertown.

“It’s nice knowing my team always has my back if I don’t have the best or greatest day, knowing that they’re always there,” Braun said. “I’m really happy for them. They’ve worked hard this last couple years and I think they’re great golfers. And I’m happy, even if they beat me.”

Two of the three times Braun wasn’t a medalist this year one of her teammates was.

Braun is the defending AA state champion and has her eyes on another potential individual title this week.

“Medalist is definitely in the back of my mind,” Braun said, “but I know that if I play my own game and I play well, that hopefully I’ll come out on top.”

Braun has spent countless hours out on the course trying to refine her game. It’s the part of the sport that motivates her to keep coming back for more.

“You can always get better and I think that drives me to practice and want to be the best golfer I can be,” Braun said.

She understands that being a top golfer takes plenty of practice and Braun does not mind putting in the work.

“There’s always something you can get better at or there’s always something you can work on,” Braun said. “Because in golf it’s just kind of always like that. You can lose your swing in the middle of a round, so you have to go out and work on it. You can’t just come out and be a good player. You have to work on that, and I think that’s kind of what drives me.”

Of course, there is a side of golf that is a bit more difficult to control than just selecting the proper club or attempting to hit the right shot.

“Personally, I think the mental side of it is probably 85 percent of golf,” Braun said. “If you don’t have a good mental mindset going into golf or going into a tournament, you’re not going to play well, and I think I’ve definitely done that before and seen the outcome, and it’s never good.”

For Braun, becoming more proficient at the physical side helps her gain a mental edge as well.

“I think every tournament my mental game gets a little stronger,” she said, “and I think I learn things from every tournament.”

As a result, Braun puts in the time, prepares for upcoming scenarios and then carries that confidence into whatever event she is playing.

“I think that’s a big step for me, at least, is the reassurance of feeling prepared going into the state tournament,” Braun said. “It will help my mental game practicing all week and fine-tuning some things. I can then go into the state tournament feeling confident and prepared.”

She credited Central coach Kim Zimmerman for helping her to prepare for whatever might lie ahead on a course.

“Zim’s been an incredible coach all throughout my years of high school and middle school,” Braun said. “He’s been great preparing us for these tournaments, our mental side, our physical side.”

Braun has gotten the opportunity to play in numerous national tournaments already, and last year played at the prestigious Pebble Beach.

“It’s insane. I look back on my life and just see the opportunities I’ve had and where I’ve gotten to go, like Pebble Beach, and I’m just so grateful for those opportunities,” Braun said. “They’re really fun.”

Braun has not only played in tournaments featuring some of the country’s top golfers, she has held their own against them.

“To see where other kids my age are in with golf just drives me to be the best golfer I can be,” Braun said.

While there is no denying Braun’s drive for success in the sport, it does come with a bit of a price. Last year she felt herself getting burned out and needed to take a break.

“I was kind of getting to the point where I was not having fun anymore,” Braun said. “I was like OK, it’s time to take a break. Coming back, I was really refreshed, so I think it’s healthy to take breaks every now and then.”

Braun will be heading to South Dakota State next season to play for the Jackrabbits. There were a couple of factors involved in her decision.

“I have a great support system here in Aberdeen with my family, and so I kind of wanted to stay close to home,” Braun said. “I’m more of a homebody, too.”

Plus, she is looking forward to seeing how her game matches up with some of the top players in the region.

“I’m really excited jumping up to that next level. I’m really eager to play with a lot of competition,” Braun said. “Like I have to play well in order to place well. I’m really excited. SDSU’s a great program.”

Not that Braun pays too much attention on the competition or the elements. She focuses more on her own game and what is needed to record a low score.

A case in point was a tournament a year ago at Moccasin Creek Country Club where fierce winds were forcing standout players to shoot scores in the 80s. Not Braun. She came into the clubhouse with a course record total of 67.

“That’s always the goal. I want to practice and I want to get to the best player I can be,” Braun said, “and hopefully on a good day I can shoot some low scores.”

Braun has major aspirations when it comes to the sport and knows it will not come easy.

“I think the dream is LPGA obviously, but it’s a long ways to get there,” Braun said, “and if I want to get there, I’m just going to have to practice.”

Of more immediate concern is trying to help the Golden Eagles win another state championship this week while also trying to defend her individual title.

“I feel more eager and excited,” Braun said. “I’m really happy with all that I’ve accomplished, looking back. I’m just really excited to hopefully go out with a bang.”

And that would just about be par for the course.