Former Woodmen golfer was county’s first medalist at state meet

<p><strong>W</strong>hen it came time for Johnson County to produce its first boys state golf champion, the 63rd time was the charm.</p><p>The 1999 state meet at Golf Club of Prestwick in Avon proved memorable Greenwood senior Nathan Fritz. After an opening round 74, Fritz, who had qualified for state as an individual, shot a sizzling 3-under-par 69 the second day.</p><p>At the time, Fritz didn’t realize he was making history as the first local medalist at state, an event first played in 1932 and discontinued from 1942-46 due to the United States’ involvement in World War II. But he did go into the event with his eyes on the top prize.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>“I had finished eighth (as a sophomore) and fifth (as a junior), so I had very high expectations. I look back on my golf career, and I was so focused on what I was doing, and did believe I was the best,” said Fritz, 37, who bested Marion junior Todd Chin and Evansville North sophomore Jeff Overton by four strokes.</p><p>“When I played, I put blinders on to everyone around me and had that one goal in mind to be the best that I could be.”</p><p>Fritz laughs remembering standing on the 18th tee the second day of competition and one his playing partners alluding to the fact Fritz was about to be the individual medalist.</p><p>“My focus,” Fritz said, “was trying to birdie that hole.”</p><p>Fritz continued his career at the University of Texas-El Paso, where he was in the starting lineup for the Miners all four years (1999-2003). He admits there were worse things than having warm weather 12 months a year and the Franklin Mountain range serving as the postcard-worthy backdrop during home matches.</p><p>“My biggest thing was I wanted to play year-round,” said Fritz, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from UTEP. “Being able to play in tournaments in California, Arizona and Texas was fun. We had a great group of guys on our team.”</p><p>His attention these days is channeled into work and family.</p><p>Fritz, whose son, Maverick, turns 2 in June, works for Titleist and fits the players on the Korn Ferry Tour, the developmental tour for the PGA Tour, for equipment. The job requires traveling to all the tour destinations and doing whatever is necessary to meet the golfers’ needs.</p><p>“I love to travel. The company is incredible, and I really enjoy working with all the young players on tour,” Fritz said. “It helps them trust me that I was a player, too. We go to wherever the tournament is and work out of a semi.</p><p>“When we launch a new product, it’s my job to fit all the players who are going to use that club. I go to the driving range and make sure their equipment is working. Once I fit the player, I take it the builders to build the club.”</p><p>Eighteen years passed before another Johnson County golfer earned medalist honors at the state meet. Current University of Illinois sophomore Noah Gillard carded a 138 as a Center Grove junior to help propel the Trojans to the 2017 team championship.</p><p>Over two decades later, Fritz doesn’t feel like a ground-breaker, even though he was.</p><p>“I mean, it’s pretty cool to be able to say,” he said, “but I didn’t think anything of it at the time.”</p>