Going into the last hole tied for first, Robert Lahrman tees up for the par 5. He prefers the long ball over the short game, which should prove to be advantageous on a par 5. Things take a turn for the worse when Robert’s second shot falls just short of the green while his opponent lies comfortably within an easy putt for eagle. With all odds stacked against him, Robert lines up the chip … and sinks it in for an eagle to keep the tie. He would go on to win the tournament in a playoff.

“It was a great feeling since everyone thought I was out of it,” Robert said. His success has helped him to gain the attention of college recruiters across the country; Robert is currently talking with coaches from Notre Dame and he has already received letters of interest from Arizona State, Auburn, and Oklahoma.

This very promising young athlete first became interested in golf at the age of 9, just before applying to Cistercian. He practices at Brookhaven Country Club and was a member of their junior golf team for his first few years. Bruce and Joey, his private coaches, encouraged Robert to pursue his passion for golf. Bolstered by their support, Robert decided to step off the team and focus on competing as an individual player.

“I like that golf is an individual sport where I can be on my own,” he explains.

He certainly has done very well on his own, averaging a score of 74 each round.

Robert somehow manages to build his golf career all while going through the rigorous studying that Cistercian requires. He practices from 4:00-6:15 every day after school and plays in tournaments almost every weekend. He finds small pockets of time to do homework.

With an average drive of 275 yards, the long game is his strong suit. Despite his success, he feels that he has a long way to go before he has perfected his game.

“The most important part of golf is the mental game, which also happens to be what I need to work on. If you have no confidence, you don’t stand a chance. You have to think you’re going to win,” he said.

Anyone who has played a round of golf knows how hard it is to keep focus. Going through Cistercian while maintaining such dedication to golf requires intense focus and a strong attitude. Judging by his success in school and on the links, Robert should have no problem developing the mindset that makes golfers great.

“The game of golf is a burning passion inside me. Out of everything I do, golf is by far the most important, and it is that deep passion for the game that gives be courage to overcome other obstacles in my life.”