Alex Wunderlich, the No. 1 golfer for the Huron boys' golf team, could proudly walk from the ninth green up to the Reddeman Farms Golf Course clubhouse. The day had started rough for him, but, after his last-hole birdie, it was clear he had hit his stride during the quad-meet.

That competitive drive is what has propelled Wunderlich to the top of his game, Huron coach Dee Drake says. Although the season is young, the golfer is playing three-to-four strokes under his scores from last year.

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"He thinks he can birdie every hole," Drake said. "He didn't start well today, but he fought back. He's developed that mental toughness, and now he's battle-tested. ... He's going to be one of scoring leaders all season."

Wunderlich golfed all last summer, participating in many tournaments, which helped him hone his game. His coach preaches summer tournaments, because young golfers can get much-needed experience in high-pressure situations.

Chelsea coach Joe Ewald agrees with the extra-work theory Huron has exemplified. A years after boasting two freshman and four sophomores on the starting varsity lineup, the Bulldogs are more experienced, but still young.

He sees his team improving day-by-day - especially sophomore Mason Wagner who shot a 38 - and is optimistic about the future, but it's all about the work the golfers put in.

"We've got an opportunity to be a pretty decent team next season, if we keep improving," Ewald said. "But golf's a game where you've gotta work at it. You don't just get better by being a year older."

As for this season, the Bulldogs are working on eliminating big numbers and hitting par on as many holes as possible.

"We have a chance to be competitive in our league," said Chelsea coach Joe Ewald. "But if we start slipping into the 46, 47, 48 scores, we're not giving ourselves a shot."

Dexter coach Frank McAuliffe, who said his team's got a lot of work to do to get prepared for the latter stages of the season, sees a similar trend in the Dreadnaughts' early goings.

"I think we started off strong, but we didn't finish out in the last couple of holes," McAuliffe said. "I think we've just got to get a little more comfortable on the course. They're good enough to get there, but golf and tournament golf are totally different."

MORE SEC GOLF
Pioneer 149, Saline 158, Lincoln 174, Ypsilanti 204: Pioneer's Davis Ransdell hit eight straight pars before recording a birdie on the final hole at Pine View Golf Course to finish with a low round of 35. The Pioneers were a model of consistency with all four scorers recording rounds under 40 in the SEC quad match which pitted Saline and Pioneer against Lincoln and Ypsilanti respectively. Pioneer and Saline picked up a pair of wins but did not face each other nor did Lincoln and Ypsilanti who were both 0-2. (Results)