Boys Golfer of the Year Winston Lerch follows path of another Brighton hockey/golf star

When Davis Codd was the leader of Brighton’s golf team last year, Winston Lerch was watching.

It wasn’t so much Codd’s game Lerch was trying to emulate, though picking up pointers from a state champion is never a bad move.

Lerch, then a sophomore, was more focused on how Codd carried himself when he wasn’t driving the ball or making a putt.

“He’s got great composure, really respectful,” Lerch said. “He’s always shaking people’s hands. It’s something you kind of observe and take after.

“He was also really competitive and wanting to win. It just shows that you’ve got to step up your compete level and it takes a lot more than just going out and practicing every day. It takes a lot of being kind and accepting everyone you meet.”

Like Codd, Lerch is also an excellent golfer and hockey player who rarely has free time over the summer as he bounces between both sports.

And, like Codd, Lerch has earned Livingston County Boys Golfer of the Year honors from the Livingston Daily.

Lerch led the county in scoring, averaging 75.82 for 18 holes and 36.5 for nine. Regularly competing against some of the top players in the state, Lerch cracked the top six in seven tournaments.

“I’m really happy with how my season went,” Lerch said. “I loved being part of the team. We have a great team. We get to have the same one next year, too, which is even better. We all kind of encouraged each other to be better. That’s part of the reason why you stick through and keep fighting through rounds. We build off each other, which is really nice.”

Codd came into high school with sky-high expectations, having starred in junior golf. Lerch, though to a lesser extent, developed a name for himself prior to high school. Brighton’s James Dewling was eager to begin coaching Lerch two years ago, but his freshman year was wiped out by COVID shutdowns.

“Everyone around Oak Pointe Country Club or Livingston County golf recognized Winston has been coming for a while, because he’s so noticeable out there at Oak Pointe practicing every day for long hours,” Dewling said. “There’s no luck here. He’s been doing this for a long time.”

ALL-COUNTY GOLF TEAM: Meet the 2022 All-Livingston County boys golf team

Lerch was part of two teams that competed at the highest level this past school year. In the winter, he was on a Brighton hockey team that reached the state Division 1 championship game before losing to Detroit Catholic Central. In the spring, he helped the Bulldogs place third in the state Division 1 tournament, only the fifth top-three finish in program history.

“I feel pretty lucky to be part of those two teams,” Lerch said. “I love playing in both of them. I’m extremely fortunate to have been able to get those opportunities. Hopefully, we can take advantage of it next year and get those same opportunities. On the golf team, everyone’s returning. In hockey, around 10 guys or so are returning. We’ve still got pretty solid teams in both areas.”

Being a good enough athlete to contribute to both teams requires a lot of time and hard work, something Lerch doesn’t mind one bit.

He estimates he will play in about 25 events this summer, including the Michigan Junior State Amateur July 11-14 in Kewadin. Lerch and teammate Levi Pennala qualified for the prestigious event. Lerch is also playing on Brighton’s summer hockey team.

“I like it that way,” Lerch said of his busy schedule. “I think the balance is nice. I love relaxing out on the golf course and also sweating out on the ice. Between the two, they work together in a lot of ways in the swing and in the shot. I think the intensity out on the ice allows me to stay calm out on the course when pressure gets high. They both help each other in certain ways.”

The competition in golf is generally friendly, as players interact with one another for four hours in tournaments.

In hockey, not so much.

“It’s a lot less aggressive out on the golf course,” Lerch said. “Out on the ice, you’re not really getting to know any of the guys out there. You’re out there to just physically beat each other up. On the course, you can talk to other guys and it’s a lot easier physically.”

Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com.  Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton's Winston Lerch named Livingston County Boys Golfer of Year