Preble's Neumeier has state medal in her sights

NEW FRANKEN – The oldies music emanating from the clubhouse at Royal Scot Golf Club put Maddy Neumeier's mind at ease as she practiced putting last week.

The sound took the Green Bay Preble senior back to when her parents, Lee and Sue, would take her to Shorewood Golf Course on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to play the nine-hole course.

"I'd play nine holes then want to go again," Neumeier said.

It's how Neumeier developed the habit of staying after practice to play another round on her own, like she was getting ready to do last Wednesday.

The routine has helped her post back-to-back top-10 finishes at the WIAA Division 1 state girls golf meet.

Neumeier is banking on it to help her medal at state for the first time after being one stroke away for the past two seasons.

"I bogeyed the last hole last year," she said. "That was a little bit frustrating to look at."

After earning second-team all-state accolades from the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin last year, Neumeier has her sights set on earning Fox River Classic Conference medalist honors and a top-six finish at state.

"I guess I have some big goals that put a little pressure on," Neumeier said. "But I'm confident that I can accomplish those goals."

The last Preble golfer to medal at state was Olivia Lindsley in 2011, when Neumeier was a freshman.

The two got to play in the same group for the first time since that season in a July event at Thornberry Creek at Oneida.

"That was a really cool surprise that she was in there," Neumeier said of Lindsley, who is a junior on the Loyola University women's golf team.

"She really just takes every shot one shot at a time. I think that's something I can really learn from. You just can't think about the next hole or the score and just focus on the shot that you're on."

Neumeier has a nine-hole average of 39.7 through five high school events, which includes tying for second at the Wisconsin Dells Invite on Aug. 19.

"She had two 77s in the Dells, but they weren't pretty rounds," Preble coach Ray Johnson said. "She missed some shots. She's not had her A-game, but she's been able to manage decent scores even though she's not playing up to her potential."

The pair of 5-over-par 77s Neumeier carded at the two-day event in Wisconsin Dells mirrored what she shot there last season.

"Last year I was shooting similar scores at the beginning of the season, but I felt I was playing better than I was this year," Neumeier said.

"I'm struggling a little bit hitting greens with my irons, so I'm still working on that to get everything spot on."

Neumeier will have extra opportunities to work on her game. The start of classes at Preble have been pushed back to Sept. 15 to allow the school to clean up and restore damage from a fire in the gym last month.

But Neumeier knows the month that matters the most for her is October, when postseason play takes place.

In addition to carding a 161 and 156 at the state the last two years, Neumeier has finished only first or second at regionals and sectionals.

"She seems to play her best golf when it counts at the end of the year," Johnson said. "The last two years, regionals, sectionals and state is when she played her best. In the most important meets, she was able to step up."