Luke DeHaven made a determined effort to be in the best shape possible by the start of his final season of high school golf. Stronger, more focused and 22 pounds lighter, the Center Grove senior is realizing the rewards of his hard work.
DeHaven, who plays the second spot for the defending state runner-up, holds an 18-hole average of 74.1 heading into Saturday’s Zionsville Invitational at the Trophy Club in Lebanon.
It’s an improvement over his 76.5 norm a year ago.
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“Luke committed to getting in better physical shape, and he has definitely seen the positive results on the golf course,” third-year Center Grove coach Matt Rodman said. “He’s steady and consistent. Straight off the tee, has a really good wedge game.
“His Achilles’ heel has always been his putting, but he’s worked on that a lot this year.”
The 5-foot-11 DeHaven weighed 217 pounds as recently as November. Over the winter, he worked out in the Center Grove weight room, following a conditioning program, and paid closer attention to the foods he ate.
At 195 pounds, he’s playing the best golf of his life.
“I definitely gained some distance off the tee,” DeHaven said.
DeHaven, the lone boy among five children, was introduced to the sport as a 3-year-old by his father, Dusty. He was playing in summer tournaments by the time he was 9, and he has been hooked ever since.
“We used to live in West Lafayette, and my dad was a member of a golf club. He used to take me out there all of the time and that got me interested,” DeHaven said.
“I would say I’m pretty easygoing on the golf course. I don’t get too upset about a bad shot or anything like that. It’s a tough game. There are a lot of ups and downs. But I pretty much just play my own game and play to the best of my ability on that given day.”
As a sophomore, DeHaven helped Center Grove make history with its first state golf championship at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel, playing in the No. 5 spot. DeHaven remained the fifth player last season as the Trojans were state runner-up, falling one shot short of Carmel.
He’s since moved up three places in Rodman’s lineup, with impressive results.
DeHaven recently won medalist honors at the Hall of Fame tournament at Rock Hollow Golf Club in Peru with a 71 and was named all-conference with a 73 at the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference tournament in Westfield.
On Saturday, he shot 72 to help Center Grove win the Bloomington North Invitational.
In November, DeHaven signed a letter of intent to play men’s golf at Northern Illinois, where he will major in business administration. The Huskies, coached by Tom Porten, have finished in the top five of the Mid-American Conference tournament four of the last five years.
For now, DeHaven remains hopeful Center Grove can once again peak during the postseason.
“Our goal this year is to make it back to the state championship and give Carmel a run for their money,” DeHaven said. “They’re a good team, but I think we can go out there and beat them.”
