In his senior season, Cory Stuckwisch always finished among the best on the links.

The recent Trinity Lutheran grad placed in the top four in every regular-season 18-hole competition and always was at or just under the top in dual matches.

“He is one of the very best players I’ve ever coached,” Cougars coach Greg Personett said. “Cory has improved every year, and I think he still hasn’t reached his full potential.”

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For all of his efforts in the 2017 season, The Tribune has named Stuckwisch the 2017 Jackson County Boys Golfer of the Year.

Averaging 75 strokes on 18 holes and 39 for nine, Stuckwisch always found himself in contention for medalist honors.

Personett said Stuckwisch is a self-taught golfer.

“I started (golfing) around fifth and sixth grade,” Stuckwisch said. “I wasn’t very good in middle school. During the summers, I would play a lot. Getting to know how to play and shape shots helped me to know the game. Playing tournaments around the state in the summers and getting to know the courses helped me learn. You learn how you’re going to react to the course.”

Once he hit high school, Stuckwisch wanted to leave a legacy.

“I wanted to make a mark here (at Trinity),” Stuckwisch said. “When I was a freshman, I saw Parker (Criswell) shoot a 75 at the Trinity invitational, which was a school record. I was thinking to myself that I had a shot at it. Each year, I improved a little bit, and soon enough, it came.”

After a little bit of a slow start, by his standards, Stuckwisch found his rhythm.

“At the beginning of the season, I was two-putting practically everything. Up and downs were shaky,” Stuckwisch said. “In the middle of the season, everything came into shape. I was shooting 2- to 3-over-par on 18 holes. I was mostly getting up and down. When I hit greens in regulation, I had chances for birdies.”

This past season, Stuckwisch set a pair of school records for scores in relation to par.

He shot an even-par 36 at Shadowood Golf Course in Seymour in a dual match before carding 74 at the Connersville Invitational. At Connersville, Trinity also set a school record for a team score by shooting 325.

Personett said Stuckwisch managed courses at a high level this spring.

“He put a bad shot or hole behind him and made the best of what he had left,” Personett said. “He made more pars or single bogeys out of what could have been a tragedy. Because of that, he really improved his score by at least a couple strokes this year.”

On top of his individual accomplishments, Stuckwisch helped the team go a strong 59-14.

“It was quite amazing playing with the seniors,” Stuckwisch said. “We had a lot of personalities. Everyone did their part. I’m going to miss it. All of us seniors already miss it. We had a really good four years, and there’s nothing like it.”

Unfortunately for Stuckwisch, he shot an uncharacteristic 90 at the Bloomington North Sectional at Indiana University and didn’t advance to regional play.

Personett said the postseason finish doesn’t take away from Stuckwisch’s accomplishments in his final year with the Cougars.

“Some days, you don’t have it,” Personett said. “He knew it and told me he was doing the best he could. That’s all a coach can ask. It was kind of a downer, but he’s going to come back from that. It’s in his history. He will move on and be just fine.”

While he won’t be joining a team this fall, Stuckwisch is looking at getting back on a team in the future.

“I still have a chance to play in college,” Stuckwisch said. “I would like to. I have offers. I just haven’t decided yet. Right now, I’m attending IUPUC. Maybe either next year or the year after that, I will attend somewhere else. I will still be practicing and playing. I’m signed up for some tournaments this summer and fall.”

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Joining Cory Stuckwisch on the 2017 All-Jackson County boys golf team:

Chanler Fleetwood, Brownstown Central, senior

Accomplishments: 45 (nine-hole) and 89.5 (18-hole) averages, All-Mid-Southern Conference, BCHS MVP.

Brayton Hattabaugh, Brownstown Central, junior

Accomplishments: 42.5 (nine-hole) and 90 (18-hole) averages, All-MSC, BCHS most improved.

Will Amick, Crothersville, sophomore

Accomplishments: 52 average (nine holes), All-Southern Athletic Conference, CHS low medalist and most improved.

Tyler Bullard, Seymour, junior

Accomplishments: 39.4 (nine-hole) and 79.3 (18-hole) averages, three medalist finishes, averages, top five in two tournaments.

Hunter Browning, Medora, junior

Accomplishments: 42.5 (nine-hole) average.

Drew Royalty, Trinity Lutheran, senior

Accomplishments: 43 (nine-hole) and 83 (18-hole) averages, regional qualifier.

Chad Stuckwisch, Trinity Lutheran, senior

Accomplishments: 42 (nine-hole) and 85 (18-hole) averages, regional qualifier.

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Cory Stuckwisch, Trinity Lutheran, senior

Nine-hole average: 39

18-hole average: 75

Other accomplishments: TLHS MVP, nine-hole (36) and 18-hole (74) school records.

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