Even now, Parker Neumaier can’t believe his current position.
The Mundelein senior is hitting the final stages of a three-year varsity career that began without much experience in the world of big-time golf.
In addition to being the Mustangs’ No. 1 golfer, Neumaier is a leader and a mentor for a young and inexperienced team.
“Golf didn’t come natural for me,” Neumaier said. “I was a late starter to golf. It’s been a grind for me. I’ve put in a ton of work, been through a ton of lessons.
“It was about simply going to the range and trying to figure things out. I had to figure it out. I never thought I would be at this point, but I’m excited about it.”
Mundelein junior Kevin Edquiban, who carded a team-best 7-over-par 79 in the Mustang Invite at Steeple Chase Golf Club on Saturday, said Neumaier helped him during a difficult week.
“I struggled all week but had a bounce-back on Saturday,” Edquiban said. “I’ve known Parker for three years. I learned a lot from him. He keeps me up when I’m down and been a big help for me.”
Neumaier said he stopped playing volleyball to focus more on golf for his senior season. He had played volleyball since middle school, but the allure of a strong final golf season was too much.
Neumaier said his best round this season is a 34 over nine holes against Zion-Benton last week. He struggled on Saturday, carding a 44 on the front nine before bouncing back with a 38 on the back nine to finish with an 82. Neumaier said his experience helped him readjust and end on a strong note.
“I started off bad on the front nine, but that’s simply from putting myself in bad situations,” he said. “It’s a tough time coming back from that. After every single hole, I reset, and that was huge for me.”
Neumaier said he’s focused on playing well at the North Suburban Conference meet on Sept. 29. His performance against Zion-Benton is a building block, he said.
“That 34 was really promising for me,” he said. “If I can put it together, I have a chance to succeed. I was really playing fundamentally, and when you get in a groove, it just feels natural.
“When you hit those greens, you are going to give yourself a chance at a birdie. I made a couple of birdies but missed a couple of putts. It was fun. My goal is to be shooting in the 70s but also really focus in on how our team is doing at conference.”
Mundelein coach Todd Parola said Neumaier has developed into a quality golfer and mentor.
“Parker is one of two seniors, and he’s been our leader,” Parola said. “He has a great attitude. We had one goal at the end of the year because we knew we were young. We knew it would be up and down with our experience.
“Our goal was to continue to get better. Parker has been a key guy helping us. He’s leading the young guys, and they have followed in his footsteps.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.