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06/18/2014 12:00 AMThe game of golf is a constant up-and-down battle through each hole, and Justin Freund exemplified the fighting spirit of a golfer through a devastating setback.
The junior lost his entire sophomore campaign for the Tigers following torn right ankle ligaments suffered on the final day of tryouts that season. Yet he has returned this year to become a valuable asset to the Hand lineup, as he earned a 4.26 stroke average, was a match medalist twice, and also made the All-SCC Team after shooting a 77 in the championship tournament for the victorious Tigers.
"It hasn't been easy, because with golf it takes a lot of time and effort to see improvement in your game, so with playing basketball [also for Hand] in the winter, I didn't have time to practice," says Justin. "But as the season progressed, I saw some improvement, and I think I'm playing my best golf right now."
That championship round for Justin was the ideal way to conclude his comeback, yet he didn't want to let his emotions get in the way of helping his teammates repeat as the best in the SCC.
"It felt like a great way to cap it all off; I just tried to not let the nerves and pressure get to me," Justin says. "I didn't want to let the team down, but when we won it, it was an unbelievable feeling. [Coach Jim] Holleran never gave up on me this year; he kept putting me in the lineup."
Holleran adds that Justin still had to work some kinks out of his swing upon his return, although, he has come through to be a reliable links man and an even stronger example to younger golfers.
"Justin is absolutely our most improved player. He started out this year looking good in practice but then shooting fairly high numbers in early matches. He kept working, however, and his scores steadily dropped," says Holleran. "He became so good that he was able to medal for us on two occasions and share medalist honors on another occasion. He brings a dependable presence in the No. 3 slot of the team. On our team, being medalist three times is quite an accomplishment with Brian [Carlson] and Tommy [Pellatt] playing in almost every match. He played in the SCC Tournament for the first time this year, and he played exceptionally well. Justin has been a model that I have been using for our young players. Through hard work and determination, you can become a very good player. I expect big things from him next season."
He kept positivity at a premium during his physical therapy sessions twice a week, and Justin took whatever measures and shooting sessions necessary to become the best player he could be.
"I ended up needing surgery, so it took a lot longer than I originally thought to get back. I stayed mentally and physically focused toward working on my ankle every day, along with never giving up," Justin says. "During this past summer, it started to feel full comfortable, but after every match, I stayed after working on my short game to shave strokes, and I went to ranges hit balls hours at a time."
Justin feels he never returned to where he was on the fairways before the injury, because he states that he's gone beyond his standing of two seasons ago in anticipating a strong senior stint.
"I feel like I've become a better golfer than what I was back then. It's tough to get back to normal in golf, but throughout the season, I've seen huge progress," says Justin, who thanks his dad, Jim, and Holleran. "Senior year will be exciting because I have the whole summer to work and plan for hopefully our team being ready to compete from the beginning of the year and still be one of the best teams in the state."
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