Savannah golf phenom to make experienced debut

Playing in a Korn Ferry Tour event still feels surreal for Reed Lotter.

It was just a handful of weeks in the past when the 16-12 months-previous Savannah Country Day golfer found out he had acquired a sponsor’s exemption into the area of the Club Motor vehicle Championship at The Landings Club, which commences Thursday at the Deer Creek Program.

Lotter will phase onto the No. 10 tee at 2:30 p.m. in the past group to go off in the to start with spherical, ready to dwell his desire and embrace every little thing that comes with it.

It is just a different tournament. Besides it is not. Lotter is just one of just 13 folks beneath 17 decades old to ever engage in in a Korn Ferry Tour occasion and is only the fifth in the earlier 10 a long time. He’ll participate in alongside expert golfers who journey week in and week out in the course of the 12 months, some of whom have received on the PGA Tour.

He has performed a 4-day event only a single other time in his everyday living, and that was not wherever close to the Korn Ferry level.

That’s the obstacle facing Lotter this week: how to take care of this as one more event when it is anything but.

“The way I glance at it, I however have to strike a spherical ball and get it into the hole,” Lotter reported. “It’s an unbelievable expertise, but I have been offered this expertise, and I still have to come out and play like it is an additional golfing match.”

No make any difference what transpires this 7 days, Lotter appreciates he wants to engage in someday on the PGA Tour, and he’ll have a ton to glean from enjoying in the Club Automobile Championship — from how to prepare to how to perform himself during the tournament to how to take care of the media spotlight.

Having ready

In Oct, Lotter performed in the Billy Horschel Junior Championship, an AJGA event held on Fleming Island, Florida. Reed’s father, Chris Lotter, recalled how Horschel gave a speech to every single of the individuals about what they could be expecting if they ever hoped to convert professional 1 working day, and what they will need to start accomplishing now to make that take place. He said younger golfers have to deal with 3 matters: golfing, social life and lecturers, and another person can only be superior at two of all those issues.

“I always inquire him, ‘Do you like that?’ ” Chris Lotter claimed. “Is that some thing you want to do? It’s really hard get the job done. You wake up at 5:30 in the early morning and go to the gymnasium, then you go to the system and warm up. You eat, appear back and follow again, then you go engage in, go to an early evening meal, go to mattress early. It’s a occupation. There are times when you really do not go to a prom or some social function that you want to do.”

Savannah Nation Day golfer Reed Lotter will be participating in with the execs in Club Motor vehicle Championship afterwards this 7 days at the Landings Club. (Savannah Early morning Information)

It is a way of living that Reed Lotter is already embracing. He wakes up early each morning and goes for a operate and will work out just before starting off his faculty day, then he will get in as a lot exercise at the array as he can before he does homework and goes to bed.

Chris Lotter claimed he never ever experienced to instill any sort of self-control for Reed to acquire this schedule. It has always arrive normally to him.

“He often beloved the recreation,” Chris Lotter reported. “It was not nearly anything for him to have to go to the system and follow for hours. I didn’t have to check with him, ‘Hey did you apply currently?’ ”

Lotter has lots of men and women to go to for guidance about how to participate in in a expert match. He is good friends with Savannah indigenous and resident Tim O’Neal (also participating in in the Club Car Championship), has strong associations with The Landings’ professional workers, and will work on his swing with Savannah Harbor director of golf instruction Andrew Rice.

Rice claimed he is not amazed to see Lotter in the Club Automobile field this year. Lotter almost designed it in October, when the 2020 event was held, after falling just one stroke shorter of earning a playoff in the Monday qualifier.

“He’s actually a joy,” Rice stated. “He gets up early and operates out just before he goes to college. He loves the challenge of the game. He is aware how to operate tricky at every little thing he does. He’s often demonstrated a enthusiasm for the sport. He loves golfing so significantly, he can’t go a day without the need of accomplishing anything to even further improve his golf video game.”

Keeping favourable

Planning can only go so far. Some items can only be taken care of as a result of experience, and landing in a tough scenario during the event may possibly be 1 of them.

“As extensive as I truly feel ready on that initially tee, like I could not have carried out something additional, then I have got to stay with the outcomes,” Reed Lotter explained. “My only goal is to continue to be optimistic by means of the complete factor. I know there is heading to be some doubts and gremlins that come in, but if I can continue to keep optimistic thoughts heading by my thoughts, I know this study course improved than any one, so I consider that is going to be important to me.”

Lotter reported shaking off a poor shot or a lousy gap can often be a struggle for him, but one of the players he seems up to in that area is Rickie Fowler and the way he goes about his enterprise, in a position to put each shot guiding him and transfer on to the next a person.

Savannah Region Working day golfer Reed Lotter reacts soon after his chip shot finds the cup all through the Club Auto Championship Professionals vs Pros Obstacle Monday at the Landings Club Deer Creek System. (Savannah Early morning News)

The superior news is, if Lotter does wind up in a tight location, he’ll have a person standing subsequent to him to go to for tips. Phil Haug, a Landings resident who usually performs with Reed, will be his caddie.

“It’s going to be a pleasant convenience,” Lotter said. “Not only are you searching for a caddie who appreciates how to go through greens and give yardages and have the bag, you want someone who in tense predicaments you can talk it through, and he’s likely to give you the most effective guidance to hit the shot. I’ve performed a whole lot of golf with Phil. He understands how far I have my golf equipment due to the fact he’s about the identical length as me. And he is aware me as a man or woman, as well.”

Haug, a 40-calendar year-outdated regional manager for an coverage enterprise, had prepared on seeking to get into the Club Vehicle Championship via the Monday qualifier, but he backed out when he read Reed experienced obtained his exemption. He approached him on the vary 1 working day and questioned if wanted a caddie, Haug reported.

“I’m more honored to have the opportunity to be a part of it,” Haug explained. “I really do not feel he’s likely to have to have (significantly assistance) for the reason that mentally he’s wise further than his many years the way he strategies the recreation. Obtaining a friendly deal with will support, but mentally and bodily he’s completely ready.”

Dealing with the highlight

Thanks in big element due to junior excursions like the American Junior Golfing Affiliation and the increase of youthful gamers ascending to stardom, Lotter is growing up in an age of golf in which the best junior golfers get plenty of protection from the media. Golf writers and analysts are always on the lookout for the future Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth or Rory McIllroy.

The Rolex AJGA rankings at the moment has Lotter as the No. 154th ranked junior player in the environment, and he’s getting recruited by some of the major college or university golf plans in the nation. But Rice reported it doesn’t subject significantly in which Lotter is ranked now, and that is the largest purpose for Lotter to delight in the second and learn what he can from the working experience.

“I’ve explained to him for a extensive time, you really don’t want to be the greatest 15-year-aged golfer in the globe,” Rice reported. “You want to be the best 25-yr-old golfer in the world. That functions out a lot improved.”

Lotter isn’t concerned of any of the focus. In point, he thinks it tends to make him a improved participant.

“The fantastic point about it is, it prepares you,” Lotter explained. “If you appear at (Jordan) Spieth, and Rory (McIllroy), some of individuals huge names, they are so excellent when they are beneath the mic. They’re skilled. It allows you understand how to talk in entrance of folks. Which is component of it. You form of have to just embrace it.”

And when it arrives to the gallery, the more substantial the better, Lotter reported. He expects to have the biggest pursuing he’s at any time played in entrance of this week.

Savannah Region Day golfer Reed Lotter receives some apply in at the Landings Marshwood class as he prepares for the Club Motor vehicle Championship later this 7 days.
(Savannah Early morning Information)

“I truly feel like I prosper when there is persons viewing,” he mentioned. “I just concentrate far more. Instead of scary, I kinda like it. I really do not want to participate in undesirable, so a great deal to the issue that it can make me engage in much better. I’m just a minor bit sharper.”

Lotter also owned the Deer Creek course record of 63, which he carded at age 14, until October when Julian Etulain shot a 62 in what was then regarded as the Savannah Golfing Championship.

With a residence crowd on his house class, it would appear to be Lotter has a good deal going for him coming into Thursday. But he will not know anything for specific right up until he actions onto the No. 10 tee.

“You really do not want to set the bar as well high, but I assume for the initial working day my expectations are to just come to feel it out, embrace that you are in this, and not enable it get to your head and just choose it a single shot at a time,” Lotter reported. “If I’m ideal there with the leaders, that’s terrific, but if I miss out on the slash and bomb it, I’m going to find out from it.”