Lincoln's Buddy Dill enjoys his love-hate relationship with golf

No one claims to know the physics of pulling off the perfect golf swing. Not Tiger Woods. Not Jack Nicklaus. And certainly not Buddy Dill, of Warsaw.

Like others in the constant pursuit of the unrealistic pipe dream, Dill loves the love-hate relationship that brings him back to the course everyday.

But unlike his peers, Dill’s trips to the links rarely involve heartache. Instead, the senior walks away with a new-found respect for the game every day that fuels his fire to improve.

“Golf is unlike any other sport I’ve played,” Dill said. “It’s challenging mentally and physically. You’re competing with the course and really, yourself. It’s different every time out. Physically, it’s incredibly hard, but it’s predominantly a mental game. You just have to find the right balance.”

A senior at Lincoln High School, Dill has clearly crafted the right balance this spring, setting school records and winning medalist honors every time out. Well not quite, but eight wins in nine tournaments is nothing to scoff at.

The down-to-earth golfer, who believes breaking into the 60s is an achievable feat in the near future, is averaging a 37 in nine-hole tournaments and a 74 in the 18-hole variety. He’s yet to shoot in the 40s for any nine and on Thursday, he broke the school record, one he previously set as a junior with a 74, with a 70 at Versailles.    

“Golf is just one of those games where it’s just got to be your day,” Dill said. “It was my day today, and I’m looking forward to even better golf.”

Dill’s current game, though, is a far cry from his origins on the links. While most of his competitors were taught as pre-teens, Dill didn’t swing his first club until his freshman year.

Introduced to the game by Britt Kroenke, a Warsaw shop teacher, and Danny Morrison, golf coach at Lincoln, Dill bought his first clubs for less than $25 at a garage sale.

“I didn’t even know what golf was, Dill said. No one in my family ever played golf before, so it was really a foreign sport.”

With a slight change in grip mixed to accent his unmatched work ethic, Dill’s game slowly improved.

“First year, you could kind of tell he had a natural swing,” Morrison said. “As a coach you can tell who’s going to be good and who’s (not going to make the cut). He had the gifts and I have a coach come down from Kansas City a couple of times a month, a guy who recognizes the small stuff. We changed a little thing in his grip and he just took off.”

Still sporting the garage-sale clubs, Dill made a range for himself on his parent’s 20-acre lot — Dill said his dad has to re-seed the lawn every year — and began to see the hard work pay dividends. He began posting rounds in the high 40s his sophomore year and earned a trip to state. The following season, he tied with Jared Dey for the Kaysinger Conference championship and capped off the season with a second-day total of 79 at state.

This season, to represent the full transformation to elite golfer, he finally gave his game the clubs they deserved.

He swapped the worn-out steel for new Mizunos, a fresh set of woods and a putter. With sweeter groove spots, better grips and the technology to elevate his game, he hit a new level. But the new clubs were not the lone factor. It was the relentless qust for greatness that continues to keep his game fine-tuned.

“There was one kid still out there practicing in the rain today,” Morrison said after getting back from the tournament in Versailles. “I mean, he shoots one-under par 70 and he’s still working on his game. He just doesn’t settle with being OK, he strives to be the best and he works harder than anybody to achieve it.”

On the horizon, Dill has conference, districts and if all goes accordingly, state to focus on. He’s already received a golf scholarship to Mineral Area College, so the expectations are high for him to end his high school career on a high note.

“I know I can go low, but it just depends if it’s my day. It’s my goal to win conference and districts, and I know

I’m capable of competing with the best at state.”

Morrison added, “He’s won 8 out of 9 tournaments, so it’s really going to be a disappointment for him if he doesn’t finish top five at state. He’s got the talent, and there’s no doubt in my mind he should be in the mix.”