Short game aiding Panthers golfer

He was told early on in his golf-playing career to learn the game from green to tee.

Michael Sigl, a senior now at Colleyville Heritage, said he was taught to play the same way that Tiger Woods was instructed, knowing that if you can make the putts in one or two strokes, you can work back to your short game of pitching and chipping.

Sigl took that to heart and has honed his short game, and the results have been a benefit to his Panthers colleagues.

Now the team captain, Sigl has been a varsity player since his sophomore year and is helping set the pace for the team. Sigl shoots consistently in the 70s.

His experience goes further back than his high school years, with Sigl starting the game at the age of 5. He said his stepfather got him into the game and he’s loved it ever since, playing most every day lately.

“You have to play every day, pretty much,” Sigl said. “I play pretty much rain or snow. You can’t take many days off in golf.”

And there were plenty of snow days when Sigl lived in North Dakota before moving to Texas in his seventh-grade year. It was then Sigl began working with coach Robert McMillan.

Sigl’s training has been more than showing up on the course every day.

“I’ve been advised on a physical fitness plan which doesn’t include many weights but focuses on core strength and flexibility,” he said.

In addition to the physical training, Sigl has learned there has to be a mental training element.

“I read a lot about the mental game,” he said. “You can’t beat yourself in golf. It’s not you against the other golfers. It’s you against the course. You have to play your game and not focus on what the others are doing. It’s the most independent sport I can think of.”

The mental and physical training are paying off.

Heritage won its first tournament title recently at Horseshoe Bay, the third tournament of the season.

The unique tournament format allowed for two-man teams, and Heritage’s teams included Sigl and fellow senior Mark Miller, who took fourth as a tandem. Juniors Nick Vella and Ali Ashai, and sophomore Cade Devorah and freshman Sam Chonich, rounded out the Heritage teams.

Sigl said the goals this year are to make it to regionals and have a shot at the making the cut for the state tournament.

“We’re definitely improved this year,” Sigl said, “and I we have a chance.”

Sigl said head coach Gerald Brown is doing a great job to make that happen.

“He is getting us to step up and is very encouraging, being a great coach and giving us good advice and knowledge,” Sigl said of the second-year coach.

After this season, Sigl will spend the summer in the National Guard as part of a six-year commitment. He said that will follow a trend of his other three brothers, who have also gone into the Guard.

He also intends to attend Arkansas to study pre-law.

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Short game aiding Panthers golfer."