Renie’s fast-moving journey as golfer includes individual berth at regional
- Val T.
- Jun 7
- 3 min read
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
LOGANSPORT — Like his older brother Reece, Davis Renie has golfed for Rochester.
But while Reece Renie had a lifetime’s worth of experience by the time he became a Zebra, which led him to being the 2021 sectional medalist, Davis only started playing golf two-and-a-half years ago.
Davis showed what a fast learner he was last year when he helped the Zebras team finish second at the sectional and advance to the regional.
This time, he is going to regional as an individual after shooting a 78 at the Logansport sectional at Dykeman Park Golf Course Friday. The top three individuals on non-advancing teams advanced to the regional, and Renie was second among that group.
Renie will tee off at 8:20 a.m. Thursday from the front nine at Sandy Pines Golf Club in DeMotte for the regional.
As a team, Rochester shot a 330 and finished fourth. Pioneer also shot a 330 and took third based on the fifth player’s score tiebreaker.
While Renie was reflective on his sudden success afterwards, he also pondered where he could have snipped a stroke off his score so his teammates could go with him.
Renie’s round included three birdies, seven bogeys and two double bogeys. He birdied the par-3 third hole, which at 135 yards is the shortest hole on the course; the long, straight par-5 11th hole; and the par-5 18th, where he sunk a 20-foot birdie putt.
“Well I would like to say I’m happy, but I’m really not,” Renie said just before heading off to school for his graduation ceremony. “Because going back on those last couple holes, I did a lot of dumb things that could have easily been fixed, and we could’ve have easily made it as a team if it was just for one more shot.”
The birdie on No. 18 followed a double bogey on No. 13 and four straight bogeys on Nos. 14-17.
“Well, I thought it rolled perfect,” Renie said of his birdie putt on No. 18. “And obviously, I didn’t know what the putt actually meant. … It was obviously a lot more meaningful than I thought it was.”
Renie was asked how close the team was. Teammates Isaac Heishman and Ashton Musselman both made the all-Three Rivers Conference team May 17 while he missed making it by one stroke.
Renie and Brady Morgan were the team’s two seniors.
“We are all very close,” Renie said. “I’m still going to try to see some of them. I will still try to see Brady, but we would always say something to each other when we were walking down the hall. Anytime I would see them, we would say something, so I would say we were all very close, and it will be sad not being able to play in the regional with them.”
Renie took up golf around spring break of his sophomore year.
“I’ve just been playing every day,” Renie said. “It’s become my favorite sport. So if you want to get good at something and progress, then all you have to do is just practice and actually try and make it what you want to do.”
Rochester coach Mason Heyde also noted Renie’s work ethic.
“To get where he is and his swing and everything, he’s clearly put in the time,” Heyde said. “He’s worked hard. He’s steadily improved every year.”
Renie was asked how golf is a mental game.
“I think it is the most mentally tough sport,” Renie said. “Being able to be positive is a lot more important than actually being talented. Because I got in my own head on the back, and it showed, and on 18, I realized that it doesn’t matter. It’s golf. So I just tried to stay in it.”
Heyde, a 2008 Rochester grad, has already stepped down as Rochester boys tennis coach in the fall but said he anticipated being back as boys golf coach next spring. Replacing Renie and Morgan will be a priority.
“Well, we’ll see,” Heyde said. “Hopefully, we’ll get some middle-schoolers coming in that have had some experience and can help fill some spots. … We’ve got some rebuilding to do, but hopefully, we’ll make it back here next year.”
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