Boys Golf: Yorkville’s Ryan Waugh as good as gold on the green, has sights set on making first state trip

If Ryan Waugh looks right at home on a putting green, it shouldn’t necessarily surprise.

He has one right in his back yard.

When the Yorkville senior and his family moved back to the area from Wisconsin five years ago, the Waughs found a home right off the 15th green at Blackberry Oaks Golf Course in Bristol. It’s a perfect location for Waugh and his older brother, Jonathan, the backbone of Yorkville’s golf teams the last four years.

“We always go out and practice at night, or before sunset, like 45 minutes of chipping and putting,” Waugh said. “It’s always a great use of practice.”

Practice, as they say, makes perfect.

As a junior last fall, Waugh continued to carry on the family tradition of excellence on the golf course. He won the Naperbrook Invite among four top five finishes at tournaments, took fourth in the conference tournament and fourth at sectionals, what would have been good enough to qualify for state. Together with Jonathan, they led Yorkville to its first sectional in nine years.

And Ryan Waugh did it with one of the steadiest putters around.

“His mindset on the green is that he will make every putt,” Yorkville coach Andrew Gross said. “Ryan is one of the best putters I’ve seen at the high school level. Besides his ridiculous practice schedule, he lives right off Blackberry Oaks and he’s over there every day. You combine his skill set and practice – you can’t just say you will be a good putter, you have to be willing to put in the hours.”

Waugh has put in the work, and not just with his physical game.

“I would say working on the mental game is the biggest thing I’ve done since last year,” he said. “I know I have all the tools to be successful. I have to prepare for certain situations on and off the course. I have to make sure that I’m steady and not all over the place. It’s just practicing out on the course, recognizing certain situations.”

This season is a little different for Waugh. Jonathan has moved on to Aurora University, but Ryan seems to have taken not having his older brother around in stride.

“I do miss him out there – a lot of people would miss their sibling – but it’s still nice, though, that we have a good team around,” Waugh said. “I get to play with some nonfamiliar faces. I always played with Jonathan before.”

Waugh, who has placed second at Yorkville’s first two tournaments, has his sights set squarely on reaching the state tournament that his brother played in three times, but he has yet to.

Ryan Waugh had a tough finishing three holes at sectionals two years ago that kept him from state. He would have qualified last season had there been a state tournament. But Waugh also wants to lead Yorkville to a second straight sectional as a team.

“Right now my goal is to just make it down to The Den [at Fox Creek, the state course],” he said. “I know I did qualify last year, but I still have not played at state. Jon has always said it’s a huge event, just play your game. I want that chance.”