Senior golfer Householder eyes big season in '14

Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Matt Resnick/Daily Mail Nevada High School senior Hannah Householder gets in some putting practice Friday afternoon at Frank E. Peter Municipal Golf Course.

Nevada Daily Mail

Nevada High School's Hannah Householder hopes to lead a senior-laden girls' golf team to post-season success this year.

Additionally, Householder said one of her main objectives is to medal at the state tournament.

"That's the top 15," she said. "And I would like to be at least in the top 10 in state."

Householder in 2013 was the lone state qualifier from the Tigers.

"My expectations and bar are set pretty high this year," Brian Leonard, NHS girls golf coach said. "All the girls are coming back, and they know the competition we face."

Leonard said the team has practiced well in recent weeks.

"We've had several 'qualifying-hole' practice rounds," he said. "They've been hitting the ball pretty good."

However, Leonard said Householder and company still have strides they need to make.

"In the beginning of the season you always have these little mistakes ---- a missed chip (shot) here, forgetting little things. And we'll be working on those things this next week," he said.

The team opens the season Monday at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club in Joplin, as they matchup against Joplin High School and West Plains High School.

Leonard said that Householder is a key component to the team's success this year. He added that Householder has worked hard over the past four years to improve her golf game.

"She's been working with a pro (Steve May), that's been helping her get her sequence and timing down," he said. "I predict she will shoot possibly in the 70s this year for a match or in tournament. And predict she will shoot below 90 most of the time."

Householder said she's typically on the course practicing six to seven times a week.

"I'm out here every day for school practices," Householder said. "And if not every day, every other day practicing on my own. On the weekends I'm usually out here one, if not both days.

"I actually went through a swing change over the summer that I'm working on. And it's helped me get more distance."

Householder considers her short game a strength, but said it was difficult to pinpoint all of her strengths and weaknesses.

"It changes on a daily basis," she said. What I'm spending the most time on right now is my short game."

Householder said her four years on the golf team have been a highly enjoyable experience.

"It's been really fun," she said. "One thing that I really loved is ---- golf is not only an individual sport, but also a team sport. And we have had just the best four years. There has been no drama and everybody gets along great. We're like a big family."

The team is led by senior's Maddie Johnson, Jenny Mosbrucker, and Brooklynn Vincent, and junior Michael Jones.

"This is a very close -knit group," Leonard said. "They've all been friends for years."

Householder, who grew up in Nevada, said she would like to continue her golfing career at the collegiate level.

"We've had several conversations about where she's wanting to go to school," Leonard said. "I've got some emails out to some coaches at some of the colleges she's looking at. And I've had two of them call me back. And of course, they're wanting scholarship players. And she's going to be a straight A student.

"Is her golf game going to be even par? No. But she'll be a consistent mid to low 80s (performer), maybe even 70s. When she hits that college-level she could be in the 70s consistently. And for a college golfer, that is a pretty good feat.

"She's got a great chance of getting a scholarship."

Leonard said he thinks Householder would be a great fit at the college level primarily because because of her work ethic.

"A lot of the time in college you practice on your own," he said. "You get together with the coach maybe once a week. You have to go work on your game yourself.

"And she has that type of attitude towards practice... where she can go out there and work."

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