The only thing hotter than Monday’s soaring temperature at Moccasin Creek Country Club was the play of Olivia Braun.

The Aberdeen standout golfer shot a blistering 4-under-par 68 during the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Tour event. The junior to be at Central said the key to her career-best round was just playing her own game.

“I just kind went out there having the mentality of like bad shots are OK. They’re going to happen,” Braun said. “You’ve just got to look past it and play your game.”

Needless to say, Braun didn’t have many bad shots with a round like that.

She said she uses summer golf to work on her game and hone particular skills.

“Summer golf is my favorite season. … I really improve during the summer,” Braun said. “That’s where you improve during golf and your short game.”

While Braun is a team leader for the Golden Eagles during the high school season, she said she also enjoys just being able to concentrate on her own game.

“That’s another reason I like summer golf. It’s just individual,” Braun said. “You don’t need to worry about anyone else, but yourself. You just kind of go out there and be an individual, and play the best you can.”

Braun, who plays as much golf as she can during the offseason, said she does take small breaks to prevent burnout.

“You have to listen to your body and your mind,” Braun said. “I took three days off actually before this tournament. It’s kind of nice.”

Braun will compete against some of the state’s best golfers next week during the Sanford Tour event. She said it really doesn’t matter who is out on the course.

“It’s really not about competitors,” Braun said. “It’s really about playing against par and playing the best you can, and playing your game.”

When asked where she goes from here after Monday’s career-best total, Braun responded, “I don’t know. I just had a really good day today, and we’ll see if it happens again. I hope it does.”

FROM MUSCLE MEMORY TO MINDSET

Earlier this month Faulkton’s Drake Mueller competed in the Class B State Golf Tournament. On Monday he was part of the field of the Junior Tour, and he said there was a big difference for him between the two events.

“I go into a state tournament prepared a little differently than this,” Mueller said, noting that he practices every day for state.

Golf has not been a priority lately.

“It’s summer time and it’s not my main focus,” he said.

But isn’t playing golf like riding a bike, once you learn you never forget how to play?

“Not even close,” Mueller said. “Not even close. It’s all muscle memory. You can lose that in a week.”

Mueller has turned into Faulkton’s top golfer following in the footsteps of former teammates like Bennett Cassens.

“I was an eighth-grader their senior year when Bennett tied for first. I definitely learned a lot from him,” Mueller said. “He taught me kind of everything I need to know. We still play now days.”

Mueller was in a tie for fourth after the opening round of this year’s state tourney. While he slipped on day two, it was a still a big confidence booster for him.

“It helps so much. Going into day two, I was like I can do it. I can hang with all of these guys,” Mueller said. “I just had a rough day, but it really shoots your confidence through the roof.”

Mueller also competes in football and wrestling for the Trojans.

He said his favorites are football and golf.

“It’s bad to say, but I like hurting people, but at the same time I love how peaceful golf is,” Mueller said, “and you don’t have to have a good team. You can be good by yourself.”

GIRL ON THE GO

You would be hard pressed to find a busier teen these days than Claire Crawford of Aberdeen.

On Saturday, Crawford worked a shift in Aberdeen before traveling to Sioux Falls to play in three basketball games and then one more on Sunday. After competing in the Junior Tour on Monday, she left for Spearfish where she will play in another golf tourney today.

“Sometimes it’s a bit tiring, wish I had a day off,” Crawford said, “but also really grateful that my parents are able to drive me around to all these places to help me get better.”

Crawford, a key member of the Roncalli basketball and golf squads, compared the differences between the two sports.

“Basketball is more physically draining all at once,” Crawford said, “but golf is more mentally draining all at once if you let it become an issue.”

And with Monday’s hot conditions, golfers had another element to deal with as well.

“If you’re not hydrating and eating snacks throughout the golf course, you can definitely feel it at the end,” Crawford said. “You get tired and start making some poor golf shots.”

FLIEHS GOES FROM BASEBALLS TO GOLFBALLS

It has a been a busy, but memorable week for Brevin Fliehs. The Groton teen is a key member of his team’s American Legion baseball squad that played seven games last week, including four in Omaha, Neb., where the team also attended a game at the College World Series.

Monday, he switched in his baseball bat for his golf clubs to compete in the Junior Tour.

“It’s exhausting,” Fliehs said of his demanding schedule. “I just love both.”

Fliehs said competing in the two sports isn’t too physically taxing.

“I golf righty and bat lefty,” he said, “so that doesn’t interfere with anything.”

How’s that?

“It’s just how I grew up doing it,” Fliehs explained.

Fliehs found himself in the battle for the top spot in his division during the tour event, but said his position never crossed his mind out on the course.

“I don’t think about it at all,” he said. “I just play my game and whatever happens, happens.”

Fliehs, who also plays on the Groton football team at the same time as he golfs in the fall, was pleased with his total on the day.

“I bogied the first hole and then I made three more birdies on the front. … I shot even on the front,” Fliehs said. “The back nine got away from me a little bit, but I ended up shooting a pretty good score.”

BEITELSPACHER PLAYS IN BACK-TO-BACK STATE TOURNEYS

It was an eventful spring for Cade Beitelspacher of Bowdle. The upcoming freshman competed in the Class B State Golf Tournament in early June and then participated in the State Trapshooting Tournament the following week.

Beiteslpacher, who was part of the field of the Junior Tour on Monday, described competing in the two sports.

“It’s very similar,” he said, “because your mental game has to be on point to play as good as you can or shoot as good as you can.”

He said the key is to have the proper mindset.

“You just have to forget your bad shots and remember the good ones.”

Beitelspacher, who is also a member of the football and basketball squads, said he likes golf and trapshooting equally.

“I like them both,” he said. “It’s fun competing in different sports.”

Monday marked the first time that Beitelspacher had played the Moccasin Creek Course.

His impression?

“It’s a really nice course,” Beitelspacher said. “I’d play it again and again. It’s really fun.”

The Junior Tour moves to Lee Park Golf Course today.

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

https://www.sdga.org/golf_event/northeast-moccasin-creek-cc-aberdeen-5