Mueller looking for scoring consistency

Just a few meets into the 2016 season, Shawano’s No. 1 golfer, Josh Mueller, is still looking to fine-tune his game.

The junior, who has posted scores of 43, 47, 39 and 46 this season, needs to work on getting more consistent while battling top golfers from across the Bay Conference.

“Hitting the ball before hitting the ground, I guess,” Mueller said of picking the current weak spot of his game. “Just not chunking the ball. Mishits like that, it puts me in bad spots.”

Head coach Dean Kugler would like to see Mueller eliminate some of the mistakes that can lead to higher scores.

“He’s just a young kid. If he wants to be considered a good No. 1, he’s got to keep it under bogey golf, which is 45 or better,” Kugler said. “Forty-seven isn’t good enough. He needs to get it to low 40s to be respectable

“He has to want to (improve). That’s the hardest time to get better. When you are a bogey golfer, that bogey golf to better than bogey golf, that’s the hardest step, so he’s at it.”

Teammates Braxten Surber and Austin Kohl also are scoring regularly in the 40s and pushing Mueller to improve to hold onto the team’s top spot.

“He’s starting to getting to average a 41, which is cool. That would be great,” Kugler said. “We’ll see how the season goes. That’s what I’m looking for out of him.

“If he can average under 43 — a 43 or better — that would be fantastic. The closer he gets to 45, that makes him just another guy.”

Mueller posted a 46 Tuesday at a Bay Conference meet at Crystal Springs in Seymour. Surber carded a 42 and Kohl added a round of 43.

Mueller is still confident in his game and working on scoring more consistently.

“At this point of the season, it’s shaky a little bit,” Mueller said after a round of 39 at Shawano Lake Golf Course on Monday. “I’ve got to improve a few things, but other than that, I’m feeling decent about (my play).”