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Milton senior earns first trip to state golf meet

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Mason Walters

MILTON — It's not easy for 6-foot, 6-inch Mason Walters to measure up on a golf course.

The lanky Milton High senior is a bit equipment challenged.

"My clubs have always been a little short for me," a grinning Walters said while sitting in the Bonny Meade clubhouse Friday afternoon.

Walters really uses his height to a successful advantage on the basketball court and has a basketball scholarship to Division 2 Bemidji State in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, Walters' golf game didn't come up short last Monday when he carded a career-best 2-over-par 74 at Janesville Riverside to earn his first trip to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament as an individual qualifier.

The 36-hole Division 1 and 2 boys state meet is Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge in Madison.

Qualifying for state is a thrill for a high school golfer. But for Walters it was no slam-dunk. It was a lightning bolt.

"It was a huge surprise," said Walters, who was the No. 3 golfer on the Red Hawks' varsity. "Coming into this year, I wasn't expecting that at all."

Walters struggled early, then put a respectable game together, but nothing to indicate he could finish in the tie for third place at the sectional meet.

"Right at the end, I finally put together a solid 18-hole round," Walters said in describing what could be called a buzzer-beater.

Walters played Riverside's par 5s in 2-under last Monday, which was a key to his success. He had a shot at going 4-under par but could not get birdie putts to drop.

As for his success, it's not like Walters just picked up a golf club last March—that really would have made a Cinderella story.

Walters has played golf since middle school under the helpful direction of Kirk Wieland, an outstanding golfer and the Milton High boys coach.

"I started junior lessons with Kirk," Walters said. "I picked it up pretty much through that."

Walters is long off the tee, and it served him well at Riverside, but University Ridge requires a little more finesse.

"There are just so many holes up there where it's risk-reward for a guy with his length," Wieland said. "We just have to have him get in play and get it on the green."

Since he has never played University Ridge, Walters will depend on Wieland's experience as a former University of Wisconsin golfer to show him the way.

"Kirk played for the Badgers, so he knows that course by heart," Walters said. "He should be a big help to me."

Wieland said he will not tinker too much with Walters' game.

"We are not going to change how he has been playing all year long," Wieland said.

Can lightning strike twice for Walters?

He can't say, but he thinks if he plays within his game, good things could happen.

"I'm just going to calm myself down," Walters said. "It's just that first shot, getting loosened up."