Bravin's sterling 33 gives Urbana golf new top option
Aug. 26—WALKERSVILLE — Urbana's Rylan Bravin tapped in his putt on the 18th green to record a par, turning to shake hands with those in his group. He knew he had shot a strong round, but he didn't realize just how well he had done.
As Walkersville coach and match organizer Bruce Zimmerman verified and tallied Bravin's scorecard, he called out the final number: a 3-under 33. That elicited "woahs" and high-fives from the coaches, other golfers and few parents watching.
That 33 helped lead the Hawks past the Lions 156-190 Thursday afternoon at Glade Valley Golf Club. It's the lowest Bravin's ever shot, and the lowest mark by an Urbana golfer in "a long time," according to coach Joe Cook.
"My driver was kind of off [on the range], so I was nervous on the first tee especially," Bravin said. "But probably on [hole 16], I realized it was going to be a really good round."
Bravin didn't show any ill effects of his practice, routinely hitting fairways and greens in regulation. His only blip came on the par-4 12th hole, in which he recorded a bogey.
Otherwise, his line was stellar: four birdies and only a handful of two-putts.
That latter mark encouraged Bravin the most, as he said he's been working on perfecting his putting. He sank roughly 25-footers on holes 16 and 17, some of his most impressive strokes of the round.
The putt on 17 gave Bravin his fourth and final birdie to set him up at 3-under. But he didn't realize he was on pace to break his personal low score.
"I thought I was at 2-under, but I knew I was playing really well," the junior said.
He cleaned up with a par on 18, and that mark became final.
It was as impressive of an individual round from any Frederick County golfer in the past few years, and it came as the powerhouse Hawks look to continue their reign atop the county and Maryland golf scene.
They are replacing three of their top four golfers from their 2021 state championship team, and Bravin slotted into the top pairing Thursday.
He may not be moving from there after Thursday.
"He's been shooting a steady sub-40, but sometimes you just get on a roll," Cook said. "We need to find an identity, so it's good to see him step up."
Walkersville also saw improvement from its first match, lowering its score by five strokes.
Sophomore David Nuckolls and senior Logan Duvall each shot a 44 to be the Lions' low medalists. Each registered a birdie — Nuckolls on hole 16 and Duvall on 17 — and closed their afternoons strong.
But at the end of the round, the attention turned to Bravin and his low mark. No other golfer Thursday shot below 40, and Bravin's 33 both turned heads and gave him a confidence boost.
"I was kind of nervous at first, but now after today, I'm starting to get in the groove a bit," Bravin said.
