JUNIOR SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR Billy Pabst , Jr. e lMhurst C ountry C lub S HE ASCENDED the 16th fairway at Coatesville Country Club, Billy Pabst, Jr. smiled and sprinkled self-deprecation atop the lighthearted chatter among his groupmates. Unexpected behavior from a player, albeit a teenager, fresh off a bo-gey-double bogey combination and teetering on the qualifying edge in the 105th Junior Boys’ Championship, part of the GAP Junior Series presented by Citadel. “I was really trying to forget about it and get one back,” Pabst, 16, of Roaring Brook Township, Pa., said. “If you have a bad attitude coming off a bad score, it usually just gets worse. If you keep a good attitude coming off a bad score, then you can come back with much better holes right after.” Such a perspective is part of the Pabst policy, which is on the precipice of wide-spread popularity. After all, an award attracts an audience. Pabst is the GAP’s Junior Sportsperson of the Year. “Golf’s not everything. You have to be recognized as a good person rather than a real good golfer,” Pabst, an Elmhurst Coun-try Club member, said. “I find that your character, and how you handle yourself on the course, is more important than how you actually play.” “Billy has been playing in the AGA Lawler Junior Tour Series for the last few years. We encouraged him to extend his schedule this year. He’s grown into a wonderful young man,” Patrick Lloyd, GAP Director of North-east Operations, said. “Not only is Billy a good player, but he’s doing the right things, on and off the golf course. He’s courteous and respectful. I can’t say enough good things about him.” Search the Pabst household to find Billy’s sportsmanship influence. William Pabst, Sr. is the party responsible for the polite pleas-antries provided. “My dad is my biggest role model. I learned the game from him,” Billy said. “A lot of the stuff he’s taught me has stayed with me.” It took a bit of time for a key code of conduct to resonate with Pabst, a sophomore at North Pocono High School. “When I was younger, I used to get pretty mad,” he said. “’The next shot is the only one that matters. The last one you can’t A get back. Keep your head up and keep moving forward.’ They always preach it, but it doesn’t always kick in until you’re older.” A mature and respectful attitude is clearly in full gear, if 2019 is any indication. In addition to personal growth, Pabst also made strides as a player. Sharper and steadier irons created a substantial increase in greens in regulation, which, in turn, translated into better scores. When reflecting on the summer season, Pabst points to the aforementioned Junior Boys’ as a standout. After a par on Coatesville’s 16th hole during the event’s stroke-play qualifier, Pabst bogeyed his final two and missed the Championship Flight cut by a stroke. Discouraged yet determined, Pabst returned the next day with a mix of cargo: same sportsmanship, new putter. He eventually went on to defeat Phoenixville Country Club’s Morgan Lofland, 3&1, in the First Flight Final. “Winning the First Flight was bit-tersweet,” Pabst, who carded a 6-over-par 77 in the Junior Boys’ Qualifier, said. “I missed the Championship Flight by one stroke. I had five three-putts from inside 15 feet. I came back with a new putter the next day, made a couple of putts, got some confidence with it and played great. From there on out, I was really looking forward to the rest of the summer.” Pabst and his new putter took part in daily workouts at Elmhurst. The practice green staged fine-tuning sessions. Elmhurst’s challenging putting surfaces handled the rest. “Our greens are some of the best around when they get them souped-up,” Pabst, the club’s reigning Junior Champion, said. The moment he’s up and preparing for a day on the golf course, headwear selection enters the equation. Bucket or conventional hat? The policy here isn’t as linear as Pabst’s sportsmanship. “If it’s going to be really sunny and really hot, then I like to wear the bucket hat so my ears and neck don’t get fried. I like the bucket. It keeps me cooler than a normal hat,” he said. “It all depends how I feel. I kind of get a vibe that morning.” Good vibes aplenty for Pabst on the high school golf front this fall. He won the Jackman Memorial Golf Tour-nament at Scranton Municipal Golf Course and advanced to the PIAA East Golf Regional Boys’ Individual Champion-ships. In addition to golf, Pabst is also a member of the North Pocono’s men’s varsity basketball team. Shooting buckets, hitting buckets, wearing buckets. “Billy Buckets” is a nickname waiting to happen. “That would be pretty good I have to admit,” Pabst said. For the time being, “Benevolent Billy” will do. – Tony Regina www.gapgolf.org 29
GAP Magazine 2019 Winter: Page 29
