Peyton White placed seventh in Ohio’s last tournament, the Wolf Run Intercollegiate, and Ty Heriott posted a first-round score of 71 at the Marshall Invitational in early August — each made for the best mark of the respective round by a Bobcat.
What makes the impressive finishes even sweeter is that they’re both from freshman players.
“Peyton has already really helped our team,” coach Bob Cooley said. “Ty played in our first tournament and played pretty well, too. They’re going to play a lot of golf for us these next four years and we’re really excited to have them in our program.”
The golfers have already proved to be future cornerstones for the Bobcats as both have brought forth a lot of potential.
“There’s only three seniors on our team this year,” Heriott said. “So hopefully Ohio gets some solid recruits in the future and we can be building blocks for this program for the next few years.”
Heriott, who hails from Brandywine, Md., enrolled at Ohio University to perfect his play and because he felt it was a “great fit” after meeting his future teammates.
White, last week’s MAC golfer of the week, went to high school in Huntersville, N.C., and came to Ohio for a similar reason.
“I played baseball when I was younger,” White said. “But there was a lot of pressure to be perfect and do well. In golf, you can never master it, and you can only get better through practice.”
White and Heriott bring a sense of humility to their game, as the freshmen have shown to be patient with their craft so far this season.
White finds his strength in his composure and mental approach.
“I think my mental game is pretty strong,” he said. “I try to grind out and not get into a slump. Golf is really a team game and even though you compete individually, there’s still a team aspect to it.”
Heriott said his strength is in his short game but knows that there’s always room for more precision around the green.
“I know there is still a lot to improve on,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve struggled, but there’s always some aspects to work on.”
At this point in the season, White has solidified himself as part of Ohio’s five-man outfit, while Heriott is battling for a regular lineup spot.
Heriott has played in only one tournament for Ohio, the Marshall Invitational, which he credited for helping him get acclimated to collegiate competition.
“It was a good start,” Heriott said. “With both of us being in so many tournaments before it, we know there’s a lot more to come and a lot more learning experiences to experience.”
The learning curve that the duo has gathered over the past two weeks proves that there is potential for both players and that they have the opportunity to anchor future Ohio squads.
“Every shot counts,” White added. “No matter what you do, your teammates are relying on you.”
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@lukeoroark
