DSR SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Lady Bruin found links of happiness during pursuit of excellence

Whatever she knows about golf, Bartlesville High senior Lisa Brown has earned her understanding the old-fashioned ways — though experience, exhausting practice and teachability.

Those lessons helped hone her into an All-State golfer at this year’s Class 6A girls tournament in Oklahoma City.

In the opening round, she came in nearly 20th, with an 83. But, in typical Lisa Brown determination and focus, she sliced her second round tally to 78, which moved her into ninth place (161), earning her an All-State spotlight.

“My goal was to get 10th place and I got ninth,” she said. “I was really happy with that.

Just as importantly for her, she helped boost the Lady Bruin squad to fifth place, out of 12 teams, in final team standings.

“Definitely my teammates,” she said about what she will miss most about Lady Bruin golf. “I got really lucky that my best friends are my teammates. They are really great at picking you up.”

Inspired by her happy childhood days on the course with her dad, Brown joined the middle school golf team as a sixth-grader.

“It got more serious from there,” she said. “It’s definitely a great thing when you win. You have to push yourself. … I have some great coaches but you have to be motivated yourself and I think its (golf) pretty awesome.”

But, not easy.

Brown has spent countless hours in repetitive practices “going out and working on some aspects of your swing, chipping or putting.”

In analyzing her game, Brown said, “I do hit the ball pretty well and I’m a pretty good putter. I’m good at kind of making smart decisions. … I’m pretty good at not getting frustrated. I’ve learned that even after you have a horrible hole, you’d kind of got to let it go.”

Brown might be on the verge of letting go of organized school golf once she gets to college.

“I have gotten quite a few offers, but as of right now I’m planning on going to the University of Central Oklahoma. I fell in love with campus,” she said, adding she’s leaning toward not playing golf.

But, regardless of what her competitive future might or might not hold, she’s looking forward to being able to play the sport the rest of her life.

Winning the conference title stands out as a major happy senior year memory.

“It happened on our home course (Adams) and more of my family got to come and watch,” Brown recalled.

She also enjoyed finishing second as an individual in the Class 6A regional.

“That was really big for me,” Brown said. “There were certain I compete with who I hadn’t beaten and beating them makes you feel like all the hard work has been worth it.”

Above all, Brown said the wind behind her wings has been her family.

“It’s meant a lot that they always support me in everything,” Brown said. “They push me in practice and they pick me up when I’m frustrated with myself.”

Brown’s scenery is about to change as she packs her clothes and puts her memories in mental storage for the move to college.

But family support will remain her constant in however she shapes her future.