For The Tribune
Dusty Wetzel said he played golf while in elementary school, then switched over to baseball.
Then, in his junior year, he went back to golf — and says he enjoyed being a member of the Seymour team the past two years.
“I started playing about when I was in first or second grade,” he recalled. “I used to play when they had Ash Hollow (golf course). I hadn’t played for four years before last year.
“I played baseball and the past two years I figured I’d come out and play golf. Last year I got a text from the coach telling me I could come out and that I’d be the last person, the 10th person.”
For Wetzel, his best shots came off the tee.
“My strength would mostly be my drives. My drives are usually 250 to 260 yards. My irons are usually pretty good. I usually hit to the sides of the greens or hit it on. I’ve gotten better with my chipping this year.
“I’ve gotten real excellent with my putting. I work on it every day at practice, getting better. My putting has its bad days and has its good days.”
Wetzel said his best round at Shadowood was a 43 during practice, and a 48 in a meet.
The senior preferred playing the front nine at Shadowood.
“I like the front, the back has different kind of landscape,” Wetzel said. “I like the water shots. I like No. 2, and I feel the front is more out in the open. The back nine is not bad, I just feel more comfortable on the front nine.”
On the links, the weather played a factor every time out.
“If the wind is coming at you, you have to hit lower because the wind drops the ball and it kind of pushes the ball back at you,” Wetzel said. “If it’s forward you kind of raise it.”
He said you also have to adjust to cross wind.
For Wetzel, practice translated to success in matches.
“The more you practice the better you’re going to get,” Wetzel said. “You can go out and not be good at driving and go to the driving range, and the more you hit the ball the more you know where to stand and practice your stance, and find a god way to hit it, and you adjust.
“You want to stay with one stance. You can mess up your stance by changing every other day.”
Wetzel said you have to keep a positive attitude.
“You have to tell yourself that you’re going to go out and hit it the best you can because if you don’t care then you’re not going to perform well,” he said. “If you hit a bad shot you have to know, ‘hey, that’s not really me.’ You’ve just got to hit the next shot better than you did the last, and get it close to the hole and get it in with the lowest number of strokes possible.”
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Name: Dusty Wetzel
School: Seymour High School
Parents: Don and Tina Wetzel
Sports: Golf, two years; baseball, one year
Organizations: Band
Plans after high school: Attend Ivy Tech for paramedics
Favorite food: Chicken fajitas
Favorite TV show: “CSI Miami”
Favorite musicians: Led Zeppelin
Favorite movie: “Happy Gilmore”
Favorite team: Carolina Panthers
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Q: What was it like attending Seymour High School?
A: “I liked the teachers and the people I went to school with because even though you may be having a bad day, there are people there that help you and bring you up to speed. If you’re struggling with something they’re there to help you and teachers relate really well. They know how students really are will help you any way they possibly can. Some will tutor you or do anything they can to help.”
Q: Did you enjoy the home matches?
A: “I like the home matches. Shadowood is pretty good. There are pretty decent people out here.”
Q: Do you prefer dual matches or tournaments?
A: “I like the 9-hole matches. You play your round and get it over with. The tournaments aren’t bad on a nice day.”
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