When sophomore Tyler Zaentz joined the golf team as a freshman, he already had a lifetime of experience with the sport. The young golfer began playing at the age of three due to the influence of his father, Allan. However, he soon developed his own aspirations for the game.

“My dad started me playing golf as soon as I could walk,” Zaentz said. “I was just kind of born into it. Golf is one of the few sports where you can play for your entire life. That is what I hope to do.”

Since starting as a toddler, Zaentz has made considerable progress. He captured the West Sequoia League Individual Championship after shooting a 39-36-71 for a total of 146 strokes. His average overall competitive score this season is a 38.5.

“Tyler has really played great this season,” senior teammate Spencer Lee said. “He works incredibly hard on his game and it’s paying off. His strength is definitely his short game. He’s great chipper and makes a lot of putts.”

According to golf coach Jeff Hopper, the balance of certain necessary skills helped Zaentz secure his title.

“Tyler is very golf-savvy. He knows how physical skills, mental approach, course management and an understanding of the rules come together to make a complete golfer,” Hopper said. “So this balance may be what serves him best both now and in his future as a golfer.”

Hopper believes that Zaentz’s success inspires the other golfers on the team.

“His ability to score helps ignite both [sophomore] Jeffrey [Roseth] and Lee, who both have the ability to hang with him. It has made for a powerful juggernaut in our league this year.”

According to Roseth, Zaentz introduced him to the sport and inspired him to play regularly. Since then, their camaraderie has developed so that they push each other to succeed, he said.

“I really enjoyed it so I continued to play,” Roseth said. “Tyler and I push each other to get better and this season we have been trading off as No. 1. We both have competitive spirits and we are very similar skill-wise.”

Although Zaentz considers golf his preferred sport, he also enjoys playing football and being on a team.

“In football, it?s nice to have teammates to pick you up. However, I would much rather have control over the outcome of a game,” Zaentz said. “In golf, it’s all on you. One mistake usually ends up costing you the tournament. But at the end of the day, you know what you need to work on.”

According to Zaentz, the frustration that he often deals with in golf only increases his desire to succeed.

“Football is less frustrating because your bad days aren’t so bad. You can make one mistake and it’s not that big of a deal,” Zaentz said. “But I would choose golf even though it is frustrating. I’m better at golf and I only get frustrated because I love it. I prefer to have control over the outcome and not have to wonder why I lost a game.”

As a result of this mindset, Tyler maintains an appropriate attitude when playing well and when playing poorly, Hopper said.

“Tyler saves his intensity for the actual tournament rounds, and maintains a relaxed and friendly demeanor at other times,” Hopper said. “What is hard for all golfers, however, is to fight discouragement when their expectations are not being met by their own play. Tyler usually handles this quite well, both by not panicking in the midst of a tough round, and by realizing after a bad round that golf can be bad one day and good the next.”

According to Zaentz, the most difficult aspect about golf is keeping focused.

“There is one kid in the Valley that is a really good golfer; I can beat him in 9 holes, but it?s an 18-hole game,” Zaentz said. “I need to work on keeping the concentration without freaking myself out. Most importantly, you can?t let one little thing bring you down. One bad mental error will ruin the whole round.”

Zaentz’s favorite memory so far this season, besides capturing the WSL title, was when senior teammate Clark Jacobson hit a golf ball through a beehive.

“The best part was that this happened during a tournament,” Zaentz said. “He is terribly afraid of bees and so he ran off the course and threw his shirt off trying to get away from them. It was hilarious.”

Zaentz aspires to play golf in college due to his love for the sport.

“I want to play in college just because I think it would be fun,” Zaentz said. “That way I can be a part of the sports program and meet a lot of other students who are interested in the same things.”