It’s been two years since Harper Schnabel competed for the Aberdeen Roncalli golf team, but that is about to change.

The sophomore to be has moved back to the Hub City and is excited about coming back home.

“In December or November my parents told me we were moving back,” Schnabel said, “so I was pretty jacked up.”

Schnabel golfed for the Cavaliers during his seventh-grade year and then competed for Tea Area as an eighth-grader, and for Sioux Falls Christian this past season.

“I moved quite a bit for my dad’s job and stuff,” Schnabel said, “so I’m just excited to be back and be able to play with my team.”

And it’s not like Schnabel will need an introduction. He named all of his past and soon to be teammates one by one.

“I’m really close with them,” he said, “so it will be really fun.”

Schnabel shot a solid round of 72 to win his age division during the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Tour on Tuesday at Lee Park Golf Course.

“I started off pretty rough, but then got it going,” he said. “I putted really well today.”

Schnabel’s confidence continues to grow in the sport.

“I think what I’ve gotten a lot better at is, I know I can make a lot of birdies,” Schnabel said, “and so I just told myself stay patient and they’ll come.”

Schnabel, who has already played in three state tournaments with the chance to play in three more before he’s done, said golf is “1,000 percent” mental.

“There are times when you can be hitting the ball great and just make a couple mistakes, and getting a couple bad breaks, and you just keep your head in it and it will come around,” Schnabel said. “Or the other way, if you’re hitting it bad and get a couple of good breaks. It just goes both ways. Obviously, you have to hit shots, but it’s a big thing to keep your head in it.”

ABLE TO GOLF ALL DAY

Webster’s Seth Lesnar is no stranger to the game of golf. The upcoming sophomore spends plenty of time on the course in his home town.

“I think it helps out a lot, because you don’t have do tee-times or anything,” Lesnar said. “I can just go there, play all day. I could play 45 holes if I wanted to.”

Lesnar, who said he sometimes golfs six days a week, was in prime form on Tuesday, firing a round of 75 to win his division.

“I played good today. I hit the ball really well,” Lesnar said. “Irons could have been a little bit better, but overall I think I hit the ball really good.”

A big key was staying out of trouble and not having any major issues.

“I put the ball in play, the driver was good, I didn’t lose any balls, so that helps out,” Lesnar said. “When you have one ball, that works out nice.”

Lesnar also competes in basketball for the Bearcats. He said there a big difference between golf and basketball.

“Golf is a mental game. Basketball you have to be physical,” Lesnar said. “I like golf, because you don’t have to be big, you don’t have to be tall. It’s a lot in the mind.”

BOUNCING BACK

While Mackenzie Wegehaupt of Aberdeen didn’t reach her goal on Tuesday, she finished strong and won her division at the junior tour event with a round of 82.

“My expectation was to shoot in the 70s today, but I did not hit that expectation,” said Wegehaupt, who is coming off a breakout season for Aberdeen Roncalli this past spring. “I really came back on the back nine.”

The upcoming freshman is working this summer on her ability to come back from disappointing holes.

“I try to work on my driver. I’m also trying to work on if I have a really bad hole, like bouncing back on the next hole,” Wegehaupt said. “The other day I had a double and the next one I parred it, so I look at the positive that at least I parred the hole after that and not let one bad hole turn into five bad holes.”

While there was only one other golfer in her division on Tuesday, Wegehaupt used something else as motivation.

“There’s a little less competition I would say,” Wegehaupt said of comparing a Junior Tour event to a high school season, “but I just try to push myself to do better than, not only my division, but the older division … so I can push myself even further.”

PLAYING THREE SPORTS AT ONCE

It was a busy spring for Warner’s Hayden Liebl, who competed in track and field, golf, and trapshooting, all at the same time.

“It was a lot,” Liebl said. “A lot homework, but it was fun.”

The upcoming freshman, said there is a one physical trait that carries over from track and field to golf.

“I’m a thrower so a lot of that stuff, like using your hips, kind of carries over to golf a little bit,” Liebl said, “and it’s like a lot stuff you’ve got to think about at once, and you put that into golf and it helps you out, I think.”

Liebl was a key member of Warner’s first golf team this spring and the Monarchs ended up winning the Lake Region Conference championship.

“I think it was great to win the LRC meet for sure,” Liebl said. “That was awesome. First year, that was great.”

Liebl said a big part of golf is trying to stay positive and not let one or two shots turn into many more.

“Just try not to have a lot of blow-up holes, just try to keep it consistent,” Liebl said. “If I’m going to make a double, follow it up with a birdie or a par, something like that. I just can’t keep consistently doing bad holes.”

PULLING DOUBLE DUTY

Groton’s Jarrett Erdmann doesn’t have much free time this summer. The golfer who competed in the Junior Tour event on Tuesday, is also a key member of the Groton baseball squad.

“It’s not that hard,” Erdmann said. “A lot of times I’ll go to baseball practice and then go to the course to golf nine.”

Teammates Brevin Fliehs and Carter Simon are also in both sports.

Erdmann is a pitcher for the baseball team and said that helps to contribute to his golf game.

“Pitching is probably a pretty big aspect in the mental game of golf,” Erdmann said. “It kind of helps you get past things, past the bad shots.”

Not only that, but Erdmann likes the feeling of being in pressure situations.

“That’s kind of what I like about pitching,” Erdmann said. “I can make the difference and I can kind of decide how it goes based on my performance.”

Erdmann said baseball is a priority over golf if there is ever a scheduling conflict in the summer.

When asked if he didn’t like his drive out on the course, he could pick up the ball and throw it like a baseball, Erdmann responded, “I wish I could do that. I could probably throw it a lot better than I can hit it with a club.”

To see Tuesday’s compete results, click on the following link:

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/5100968