[July 06, 2011] Prep of the week: Short game goes a long way for Squires Tweet May 26, 2011 (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- WATERLOO, Iowa -- One could only wonder what music would have filled the playlist of Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer if they grew up in an era of iPods and instant downloads. For Waterloo Columbus' Adam Squires, a blend of old-school work ethic with new-school technology has produced extraordinary results in what has become an unforgettable senior season of prep golf. After offseason lifting added 20 yards of length to the Sailor standout's drives, work around the green quickly became his top priority. A random mix of 300 songs resonated through his iPod as Squires dedicated countless hours this spring to tedious work chipping and putting. "It does take a lot of patience," Squires said. "There's a lot of kids that just want to tee it high and rip it as far as they can, and that's not really my strength. Usually, I just go to the practice green, put my iPod in and chip a bunch and putt a bunch. "Anything from rock to country and rap, it just helps me stay focused and keeps me on the range because I'm not looking at the time and wondering when I can go home." The increased work hasn't gone unnoticed. "His work ethic on his short game is second to none," Columbus coach Patrick Flanagan said. "He will chip and putt for hours when other people would do it for a half an hour. "He's the kind of kid that will chip and putt waiting for the rest of his teammates to finish their round. He's usually the first one there and the last one to leave." Beginning Friday, Squires figures to be in both Class 2A's individual and team hunt as the Sailors will compete in the two-day state tournament at Livermore's Spring Valley Golf Course. This marks Squires' third trip to state. He placed ninth overall as a sophomore before finishing 23rd -- fourth on his own team -- a year ago. That finish has helped fuel Squires to what has become one of the most consistently successful seasons in school history. He's earned medalist honors in 11 of 14 meets and finished runner-up in two more while maintaining Class 2A's second-best nine-hole average of 37.85. "It is the single greatest motivational tool I have right now," Squires said, reflecting on last year's trip to state. "As the No. 1 player, I felt I should have been the best player on the team and I wasn't. It just really angered me at the time, but now I'm just using it as motivation to be better. That's why I chip and putt and play all the time." While Squires isn't likely to crush tee shots past every opponent, he has complemented consistent 270-yard driving ability with a smooth swing. "He has matured to the point where any setback is no longer troublesome," Flanagan said. "He doesn't let anything negative affect him. In golf they call it grinding. He can grind when he needs to make par and he can make a par out of something that for somebody else might look like a double bogey. ... He's got a swing that holds up under pressure. It's a beautiful swing." From weekends spent learning the game alongside his father, Brad, to rounds with teammates, Squires is consistently challenging himself to improve. He's currently undecided on a college, but says he's leaning toward Central. No matter where he goes, golf is a game in which Squires won't settle for average. "I'll play this game until I stop getting good," he said. "Once my game starts declining, I'll probably just stop playing. ... Hopefully that never happens." As for his final trip to state, winning as a team remains Squires' top concern. "I can't wait," Squires said. "I think it's between two teams. I'm not going to say which ones, but hopefully we can win. "I could carry that the rest of my life, 'I won a state championship my senior year.' That would be awesome." To see more of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wcfcourier.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]