When Pendleton Heights senior Lauren Patishall found out that she’d been named The Herald Bulletin Golf Player of the Year for the second straight year, her reaction was, “Wow, really?”

Coming off a junior season where she was a state finalist, Patishall admitted that she was disappointed in the way her senior year ended.

“It was a windy day,” she said of the regional match. “We were playing in some rough conditions and I had trouble putting all day.”

“She’s still probably not too thrilled with that,” said her head coach, Chad Taflinger. “I know the season didn’t go the way she wanted to, but I don’t think she realizes how good she can be.”

Patishall’s disappointment at the regional match came a week after what she called the highlight of her season: a score of 79 at the Highland Girls’ Golf Sectional at Grandview Golf Course.

“Every aspect of my game came together that day,” she said. “I was able to drive and chip well, and I handled the pressure well that day. My goal was to be under 80 and I was glad to be able to reach it.”

Taflinger said that her ability to perform well at every match was key to her success.

“During her matches, she’s just really consistent,” said Taflinger. “Her tee ball is pretty much always in the fairway. She hits every iron identical almost every time. When you know your own game that well and you know your limitations, it makes for a pretty successful player.”

Highland coach Bob Windlan said he saw a marked improvement in Patishall’s game during her four years at Pendleton.

“I thought she was talented as a freshman,” he said, “and I think she worked real hard at her game to get to the point that she did in her senior year. I enjoy watching the girls that can play golf well, and she was a good player to be around. I’ll miss seeing her on the course.”

The talent that earned Patishall an appearance in the state finals and two THB Player of the Year awards wasn’t evident right away, according to Taflinger, who’s been her coach for the last two years.

“At first, I didn’t see all the talent that I later came to see with her,” he said. “She started off struggling both years. It wasn’t until late in her junior season that she started playing consistently low and having a lot of good tournaments. She got much better as the year went on.”

Perseverance helped Patishall get through those early struggles.

“I just put in a lot of hard work and stuck with it,” she said. “I started to play well in the tournaments when I needed to.”

Coming off a junior season that almost didn’t happen because there weren’t enough girls to field a team, Patishall said she was just grateful for the opportunity to play again.