LocalSportsJournal.com
There were some anxious moments for Reeths-Puffer senior golfer Dylan Panozzo the week after spring break.
You see, Panozzo took a family vacation to Florida that first week of April. On the last day of the trip, the family decided to rent a boat for a day and explore the ocean water. And, Panozzo, enjoying the sun and warmth of the Florida weather, decided to take off his shirt.
Not a bad idea, but the end result was a sunburn - real bad sunburn that left blisters on his chest and left him unable to swing a golf club. He ended up laying in bed and pretty much not doing anything, including going to school.
“It was about 80 degrees with a UV index of 10,” said Panozzo. “I didn’t wear sunscreen so I got sunburned like crazy and had blisters all over my chest. It was pretty brutal and I couldn’t swing a golf club for a week.”
Not an ideal situation when you’re facing one of the busiest weeks of the season with four golf matches in the span of six days. Panozzo missed the first two, including an OK-Green Jamboree. He gutted out the second league jamboree with a 45 for nine holes and played the Saturday invitational.
“That first day we had a tournament at Egypt Valley so he wasn’t able to play,” said Reeths-Puffer coach Matt Pallett, who also informed Panozzo that missing both league jamborees would cost him any consideration for all-league honors.
“He was never on my bad side (due to the situation),” said Pallett. “Things happen and it’s almost funny to hear that you can’t golf because you’re sunburned.”
He even picked up the nickname “Sun Bum,” which is a popular lotion designed to prevent such issues for golfers and non-golfers alike.
No worries as Panozzo continued to heal, he was able to practice again, and on May 1, he captured the individual title at the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association golf tournament with an 80. On that day, Panozzo and his Rocket teammates took second place to city champion Mona Shores.
There have been some rough patches since that day, but Panozzo is trying to stay focused. His driver has been a bit errant with too many tee shots sailing to the left or right and not enough down the fairway.
“It’s part of golf,” said Pallett. “You have good days, and you have bad days. It’s all a part of golf that we have to deal with.”
His driver was not a concern when he picked up the game at the age of 7 and became a member at Lincoln Golf Club.
“I remember coming out here with my mom,” said Panozzo, who admitted his mother isn’t the best golfer, but was willing to make sure her young son was introduced to the game.
He started out playing some junior leagues and that eventually progressed into more serious events, including junior camps, then competitive golf. Summer leagues throughout the area helped hone his skills.
Panozzo utilizes the help of a swing coach in Ted Tallefson, and of course, Coach Pallett. Panozzo banks on his chipping (100 yards and in) to carry him, but admits there is work to be done in other areas like the mental aspect of the game.
“Dylan has gotten a lot better with that over his career,” said Pallett. “He realized a lot of it comes down to mental and you can’t do anything about the shot you just had, the hole you just had. You need that ‘next shot, next hole’ attitude and he’s gotten a lot better with that. There’s still room for improvement, like anyone else, but he’s definitely gotten a lot better.”
By his junior year, Panozzo was competing in the Callaway/Meijer Junior Tour, a highly competitive program for high school golfers. Panozzo played at American Dunes in Grand Haven, Forest Akers in East Lansing and The Meadows at Grand Valley State University.
But his focus at the moment is completing his senior year playing his best golf. And that includes qualifying for the state finals for the first time. He struggled in the final jamboree and was honorable mention all-league for the second straight season. And it’s a tough conference with the likes of Mona Shores, which seems to set the standard year after year, Holland, Zeeland West and Reeths-Puffer.
The Rockets are banking on Panozzo and sophomore Kristian Brown, a promising sophomore who has had a solid season. Finding consistency in the remainder of the roster will determine the fate of the team. Ayden Hartzell also has had flashes of brilliance on occasion, including a 76 earlier this season. Aiden Waggoner, a junior, has shown solid improvement this season.
Regionals are coming up with the top three teams moving on to the state finals. Also qualifying for state will be the top three golfers who are not on one of the top three teams.
“State is an end goal for me,” said Panozzo, who is taking his talents to Muskegon Community College’s golf team next year.
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