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Dohrer using Junior Tour to build golf game

Emma Dohrer, of Aberdeen, watches her tee shot on the third hole at Moccasin Creek Country Club during Monday’s SDGA Junior Tour event. In the background is Shelby Pearson. of Watertown. Photo by John Davis taken 6/26/2023

Emma Dohrer has been making the most of her time on the SDGA Junior Tour so far this summer. The Aberdeen Central golfer was competing at the Junior Tour stop at Moccasin Creek Country Club on Monday.

The upcoming sophomore is hoping to build off of the momentum she and her team had this past spring during the high school golf season after finishing runner-up as a team at the Class AA state golf meet.

“Just always trying to get better towards next season and keep pushing and keep practicing and keep going just for next season individually and for the team,” Dohrer said.

Dohrer, who finished in a tie for ninth place individually at the state golf meet earlier this month, said the Junior Tour brings a different feel than the high school golf season.

“I think it’s just fun. It’s not as much pressure,” Dohrer said. “You don’t have to do good but you obviously want to do good. It’s just for more reps and more practice. It was really fun playing with Kyley (Wirebaugh) and Shelby (Pearson) today.”

Kyley Wirebaugh, of Aberdeen, watches her putt on the third hole at Moccasin Creek Country Club during Monday’s SDGA Junior Tour event. Photo by John Davis taken 6/26/2023

Dohrer says she has a favorite aspect about playing on the tour.

“Playing with my friends,” Dohrer said.

TVEDT PREPARING FOR MULTIPLE SPORTS

Castlewood’s Lane Tvedt has been busy making the rounds this summer, and not just on the golf course. The senior-to-be has been busy balancing a multi-sport schedule, which has been conflicting at times.

“You know, you have to make some decisions. Like today, I had a basketball team camp, but I had to miss because I had golf,” Tvedt said. “I’ll be with my basketball team (Tuesday) to play in a league, so, I mean, some days you have to pick and choose and you know, you just have to work with it.”

Tvedt says playing on courses like Moccasin Creek are preparing him for next spring.

Lane Tvedt, of Castlewood, chips onto the green of the third hole at Moccasin Creek Country Club during Monday’s SDGA Junior Tour event. Photo by John Davis taken 6/26/2023

“We’re playing good courses. It’s getting me ready for next year,” Tvedt said. “Hopefully, I can keep in mind that I have a great course out at Castlewood, but these bigger courses have quicker greens, more danger, (and) you have to learn how to play better. Hopefully I can keep that for next spring.”

In addition to preparing for the high school golf season, Tvedt has also been preparing for the high school football and basketball seasons.

“I’ve been throwing the football with my brother, and I’ve been out there with some of my teammates,” Tvedt said. “I work out for basketball all summer long. We spend a lot of time in the gym, and it works with our team. Our team chemistry gets better, and we also get better as players.”

No matter the day or the sport, Tvedt says he is just putting in another day of preparation for the busy high school sports calendar ahead.

“It’s just another day of work, basically,” Tvedt said.

BEITESLPACHER TAKES ADVANTAGE OF CONDITIONS

As with most high school golfers, Cole Beitelspacher is using his time on the Junior Tour preparing for next spring’s high school golf season, including playing in all kinds of weather conditions. Beitelspacher said Monday’s weather was favorable.

“A lot better than (Sunday),” Beitelspacher said. “(Sunday) playing in the tournament it was 20 mile per hour winds. Not the greatest day. Today was nice. Nice day outside for golf.”

Cole Beitelspacher, of Bowdle, chips onto the sixth hole at Moccasin Creek Country Club during Monday’s SDGA Junior Tour event. Photo by John Davis taken 6/26/2023

The Bowdle native said the Junior Tour helps him get better as a golfer.

“It helps me out in the summertime towards my golf season next year, so I’m just trying to lower my score,” Beitelspacher said.

Beitelspacher says the Tour gives him the chance to get more practice.

“Just to get used to all my clubs, just hit them more straight and get used to them,” Beitelspacher said.

BEYERS KEY MEMBER OF RISING GOLF PROGRAM

Edmunds Central golfer Harrison Beyers is coming off a superb state tournament appearance. The sophomore-to-be finished day one of the Class B Boys’ State Golf Tournament in second place before ending the tournament in a tie for 27th place.

Beyers is now using the Junior Tour to continue to work on his game.

“It’s been good for the experience,” Beyers said. “I started off this summer with a couple of bad meets, but these past couple I’ve done a little better, and I like where I’m going. I think I’m getting better.”

Harrison Beyers, of Roscoe, reads the green before putting on the fifth hole at Moccasin Creek Country Club during Monday’s SDGA Junior Tour event. Photo by John Davis taken 6/26/2023

Although Edmunds Central has had limited state-wide team success through the years, the Roscoe native is grateful to be a part of school history this past spring.

“We have like one banner in our gym for state championships in any sport, and for golf, we went to state for the first time in school history as a team, and that was really cool. That was really cool to be a part of that,” Beyers said.

The Raiders golf program will be young next year, but Beyers says the sky’s the limit when it comes to what the team can achieve.

“We’re a really young team. We have just two sophomores. Me and another kid are about to be sophomores,” Beyers said. “We’ve got another freshman coming in there, and I think we can all go really low next year. I think we can continue to go to state as a team.”

For now, Beyers is using the Junior Tour as a chance to grow in the sport of golf.

It’s really fun that we all get to come out here together,” Beyers said. “A lot of us have been to the same meets at the same time, and it really helps us get the experience, and that’ll definitely help us in the future. I think we can definitely use that as an advantage.”

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

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/3978205

There will be another stop on the Junior Tour today at Lee Park Golf Course.

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