Merten wants quality effort
ADAMS TWP — Oh, that tournament.
That was Mars senior Bridget Merten's reaction to her win on the Hurricane Junior Golf tour last weekend in Baldwinsville, N.Y.
Merten overcame a six-stroke deficit Sunday by shooting a 12-over par 84 to win the Western New York Junior Shootout at the Timber Banks Golf Club.
But how the two-day tournament went didn't make her happy.
Merten shot a 180 (96-84) and finished 36-over par.
“Not exactly relief,” said Merten about her reaction to the win. “I never felt like it was a win, I didn't feel good about my score. I play against myself, I play against my best score.”
When not playing the greens well resulted in a 96 Saturday, Merten stayed on the course for 90 minutes to get extra practice after her round.
The greens were fast and she wanted to get a better feel for the course.
“I just told myself I needed to stay out here if I have any chance of doing better,” Merten said. “In my mind, I should have never shot a 96. It was terrible.”
Merten finished nine strokes ahead of Emily Doell of Rochester, N.Y., who finished with a 183 (90-93) to grab the win.
“I feel like I was a lot more focused,” Merten said. “When you get those bad days, you get out of focus.”
How Merten gets back into focus with more practice is an attitude Mars coach Ralph Jockel appreciates.
“Even when she shoots good, she still feels that way,” Jockel said.
It's been a busy summer for Merten, who has played in a lot of tournaments.
Merten hopes she can build some momentum heading into the high school season. She qualified for states as a sophomore, but just missed last season.
“I have a tournament coming up this weekend, I hope to do better,” Merten said.
