Bo knows golf
Chesterton’s Smith ready to compete with the best as freshman
Chesterton coach Patrick Ward has waited for Bo Smith almost as long as Valparaiso coach Wayne Lichtenberger waited for Aiden Gutierrez.
Both Smith and Gutierrez are freshmen.
At 14, Gutierrez finished in second place at the Indiana Boys State Junior Championship last summer. He already has made a name for himself in state circles.
Smith hasn’t had nearly as much publicity as Gutierrez, but Ward isn’t afraid to say it: Smith can compete with anyone.
Smith easily has been the Trojans’ best golfer during tryouts. Ward expects him to be one of the top golfers in the area.
“He’s someone that is going to influence our golf team for years to come,” Ward said.
Smith has learned the game in much more subdued terms than Gutierrez, who has traveled extensively to play in tournaments since he was in elementary school.
Smith started playing when he was 8 years old, but he didn’t take lessons until recently, he said.
The first few years of Smith’s golf experience were spent mostly on the range, where he hit balls. His natural swing produced a fade, but Smith taught himself a draw. He would look on YouTube for lessons or to find swing fixes.
About a year ago, Smith was mired in a slump he couldn’t fix. His misses were so bad that he had trouble finding the ball sometimes.
He finally broke down and started taking lessons from EA Tischler at Olympia Fields Country Club. Smith was proud of being self-reliant. But he decided he was going to need help to elevate his game to another level.
“You can’t always rely on yourself,” he said.
The lessons have made a big difference. Smith shot a 6-under 66 during a round at Sand Creek Country Club last year.
Tischler and Smith worked on the mental approach, and Tischler helped with technique, which has added distance to all Smith’s clubs.
“I’ve become more consistent and way more confident,” Smith said.
He didn’t play much tournament golf last summer. That will change going forward. He wants to see where he stands with some of the best golfers in his age group.
Smith is aware of the Chesterton golf tradition, which includes Mitch Davis. A junior at Indiana, Davis tied for sixth in the state as a senior and tied for 12th as a freshman.
Davis won the Northern Amateur at Sand Creek in 2019.
Smith said Davis has helped him out. Both play at Sand Creek. Davis’ accomplishments are “definitely something to chase,” Smith said.
Ward said Smith’s swing mechanics are pure and that he “knows how to adjust on the course if something isn’t going right. That’s probably his biggest strength. That is just something that can’t be taught easily.”
Smith’s goal for this season is to advance to the state meet.
“I feel like I can do it,” he said. “It’d be cool if I made it. I just have to keep practicing.”