Overton's Weiterman thinking repeat

BLAINE WEITERMAN Defending Class 1A state golf champion Blaine Weiterman had a few things on his mind during the course of the regional tournament at Piney Woods Country Club in Nacogdoches recently.

At the top of the list? After shooting an 82 in the first round, Weiterman said he was thinking, 'What do I have to do to get back to state?'

Weiterman, 17, said he had a bad first round - "I didn't putt very well," he said. "It was just one of those days." - then re-focused, and shot a 75 on the second day, bettering his total by seven shots and earning a trip back to Morris Williams Golf Club in Austin for Monday's UIL Class 1A state golf championship tournament.

It's a course Weiterman, a junior at Overton High School, hasn't played on very much, but he's made the most of his opportunities. Weiterman just held off a 40-plus field last year to win the state title with a twoday 143 (71 on day one, 72 on day two) and would like a repeat performance this week.

Weiterman, his friend and OHS golf teammate Chris Harmon and coach Terry Lowery will make the trip to Austin Sunday, and Weiterman will play a practice round, his first time to actually play the course since last year.

He spoke Saturday of other favorites this year - Riesel's Chris Schroeder and Lapoynor's Daniel Gibbons - and how in a field of almost 50 of the state's best golfers, he's only one.

"I know how golf is," he said, "and how you can have one bad hole and play yourself out of a tournament."

So overconfidence is not a problem for the Mustang junior who has dealt with adversity over the last two seasons.

Weiterman has had back problems since December 2004, and played through some pain last season, although not enough to really affect his game, he said.

After winning the state championship at Morris Williams last year, Weiterman said he might have rushed things in August, right around the time the school year was starting back.

"I probably tried to do too much too quickly," he said. "I probably should have taken it easier than I did."

He admits that during extended breaks from school, especially, he plays a lot of golf. During spring break, he played almost every day, and notes that he rarely ever has to deal with pain during a round.

At the same time...

"I can't overdo it," he said. "I do want to stay tuned up."

There could be a bright future - a professional future - for Weiterman in his sport of choice, if he wants to pursue it.

He regularly plays such events as the Starburst tournament in Waco, and is a part of the American Junior Golf Association, which has produced such names as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson over the years.

"Right now, I'm just concentrating on (high school) and maybe getting a chance to play in college," he assessed. "There's just so much competition - there are players all over the country - Florida, Georgia, and Texas are where a lot of them come from - who pay $40,000 a year to go to clinics and are wanting to make golf their career. If that happens (for me) one day, then I'd love it. But we'll see."

See a follow-up on Weiterman's first round in Tuesday's Kilgore News Herald, and a wrap-up of his performance in the state tournament on Wednesday.