Bryce Brazzel and Mary Kerr welcome greens in regulation any day of the week, but if you offer them an opportunity to flag-hunt, they’ll gladly accept.
As of late, the Friendswood golfers have been taking their game to the next level.
Brazzel, a senior, recently shot a 67 at Bay Oaks Country Club in Clear Lake while Kerr carded a 68 at Moody Gardens at the outset of the fall golf season.
For each, their efforts established single-round scoring records for the Mustangs’ golf teams.
“They’re in a different world right now,” Friendswood golf coach Scott Smith said. “They’re both just throwing darts.
“For each of them, every hole seems like it’s a 6- or 7-foot birdie attempt. And when they miss a green, they put themselves in a position to make par while other players are going to make bogey.”
In Brazzel’s stellar round, he recorded three birdies, an eagle and 14 pars in breaking the school record by two strokes.
“That was a fun day – everything just kind of came together,” Brazzel said. “I knew I was capable of doing it, but I had never had one come together like that in a tournament.
“I had to grind out the first six holes and make some par saves.
“I got lucky a few times, and you have to, to shoot 67. After parring the first six holes, I made an eagle on No. 7.”
A birdie at No. 9 and a chip-in on No. 10 was followed by a challenge at the 11th hole.
“It’s a par-5 and I hit it in the water off the tee,” Brazzel said. “I took my drop, got it on the green and made a 6-footer for par.”
After that, Brazzel made his way home bogey-free.
Brazzel’s five-under score was the result of adapting to a major swing change.
“I had pretty high expectations for this past summer,” he said. “I didn’t play anywhere close to my expectations or standards.
“It was just frustrating, tee to green. I couldn’t keep the ball in the fairway or in play in general.
“I couldn’t find a fairway if it was 50 yards wide.”
Brazzel was so determined to invest in the swing change that he didn’t play any tournaments from August to November.
“Going into my senior year, that was not ideal,” he said, “but I knew it needed to happen.
“It’s really paying off now. There was no point in me playing tournaments.
“I wasn’t going to see any results because it was going to take time and a lot of practice.”
Until the summer prior to his freshman year in high school, Brazzel hadn’t golfed, thus his improvement to date is remarkable.
“My freshman year was the COVID year, and I was playing baseball and golf, and everything was cut short,” he said.
“I was still shooting in the 90s and 100s at that time.”
Brazzel made the varsity squad his sophomore year and was shooting in the 80s most of the year until the district tournament at Bay Forest Golf Course in La Porte.
“I broke par for the first time out of the blue,” Brazzel said. “I shot 76 the first day and one-under 71 the second day.
“I thought it would definitely get easier after that, but it didn’t.”
Brazzel said his junior year didn’t produce anything spectacular, but his willingness to keep grinding and improving has paid off this winter.
“There’s not really one major weakness. I feel I’ve got every shot in the bag,” he said.
“I’m pretty comfortable over most shots.
“Hopefully, I can keep my score around par. I’d rather not see a score in the high 70s.”
As far as Brazzel’s mental game is concerned, it’s strong as well.
When one doesn’t play competitive golf for four months with the option to easily do so, it speaks volumes about discipline.
“My dad says I shoot at pins I shouldn’t shoot at,” he said. “If I’m messing around at Magnolia Creek (in League City), I’ll shoot at every pin.
“But if I’m in a tournament and 5-under through 15 holes, I’m not aiming at it.”
Kerr, a junior, also shattered her school record of 71 with a round that featured seven birdies at Moody Gardens Golf Course in Galveston.
“It was crazy windy that day,” Kerr said. “I was trying to keep the ball low, and I had a lot of wedge shots in.
“I was just sticking stuff close and making putts.”
So how was Kerr able to control the ball in unfavorable conditions?
“My home course Mag Creek (a links course) is really windy, so I have a lot of practice at it,” she said.
“Everything was just good that day. You pretty much have to put everything together to shoot 68 on a day like that.”
Kerr, a state qualifier last fall, finished fourth this past week at South Shore Harbor Country Club in League City, shooting rounds of 75 and 78 in cold and windy conditions.
“Honestly, my mental game is a whole lot better than it was last spring,” Kerr said.
“(The state tournament) last year was a challenge, and I didn’t play very well.
“I learned a lot, and even at state, I matured a lot. I think if I go back this year, I’ll play way better.”
Kerr said playing school tournaments are much more enjoyable than summer tournaments, where the competition is consistently tougher.
“When you’re playing school tournaments, you have your teammates there to hype you up,” she said.
“It’s a lot more fun. I know a lot of people at summer tournaments, but it’s not the same as a school tournament.
“At school, we spend every other day together playing golf.”
Kerr believes she’ll be more efficient in 2023 because she’s more relaxed on the course.
“I feel like I’m not as stressed out as I used to be,” she said “I used to get really frustrated, and it would compound mistakes.
“I don’t do that as much. I’m not as hard on myself.”
Kerr said she and Brazzel are good friends and aren’t opposed to challenging each other.
“We play a lot together, and he helps me with my swing,” Kerr said. “We analyze each other’s videos, and we’ll have putting competitions.
“My new goal is to set the school record again, and break Bryce’s school record of 67.”
Kerr said she’s also trying to find the solution of whether to treat golf as work or play.
“I feel like it’s a combination of both,” she said. “You need a healthy balance of both. I’ve been maturing and realizing that it’s just a game.
“You’re not playing pro golf, and your career is not on the line. But you still need to do your best and work hard.”