EFFINGHAM — Addie Krouse can now call herself a two-time Daily News Girls Golfer of the Year.
The St. Anthony junior finished this past season with a 40.2 scoring average in nine-hole matches. Krouse only got better as the season continued, too. She was the low-medalist at the St. Anthony Regional after carding a three-over-par 75 and then shot an 88 at the Taylorville Sectional to advance to the Class 1A State Final Tournament.
From there, all she did was best her score from the year before by a whopping 14 strokes.
Head coach and father, Tim Krouse, credits her work ethic during the summer toward that.
“I think she got better control of wedge distances and specific yardages — 30, 40, 50-yard shots,” Tim said. “Those were beneficial to get yourself putting from 10-15 feet or six feet on those shots as opposed to 20 or 25 feet.”
What also helped was being a part of a team again.
Last season, Addie was one of four golfers on the Bulldogs’ roster. She advanced to state as an individual.
This year, her mindset changed.
“(She had) more of a focus on the team and trying to get the team to state,” Tim said. “We fell a little bit short of that, but (Addie) really helped develop those freshmen and some of our other kids so that we can continue to build a program.”
Tim also mentioned that she worked hard on mentally grinding through.
Last year’s state tournament was one to forget for Addie. This year, however, the summer consisted of becoming stronger between the ears.
“She needed to work on not getting discouraged when she hits a couple of bad shots and maybe didn’t win a tournament or shoot in the 70s,” Tim said.
Her older sister, Morgan Briggerman, also joined the staff this year, which helped immensely.
“I think it supported all the girls, not just Addie. It was a big improvement on creating relatability of having a lady on staff.”
Addie was asked a series of questions from Daily News Sports Editor Alex Wallner.
Below is how she responded.
AW: Thoughts on your season overall?
AK: “I am very grateful to have had an amazing team this year. I would not have been able to get to where I did without them. They encouraged me at every practice, match and in the postseason to play to the best of my ability.”
AW: What can you take away from this past season heading into your senior season? What do you need to work on?
AK: “My dad always told me if I practiced more, I could play at least five strokes better. I believed him because last season, I was averaging a 40 on nine holes and had a couple of rounds under that. Next season, I will spend more time on the things I need to work on, including keeping my attitude in a good spot while I’m playing, my short game — I couldn’t get the green speed figured out at state — and making sure I’m actually having fun.”
AW: Talk about your regional round. You were on fire the whole day. What did you think went right?
AK: “I was striping my driver the whole day and getting up and down on the greens even if my second shot wasn’t spot on. I was even through 15 and it was driving me nuts. I had never played that well and I was so nervous. Then, in the final stretch, I bogeyed 16, 17, and 18. I finished my round and I got so down on myself. I had played those holes a million times, but I couldn’t play them well when it really mattered. When I saw my team, they were so hyped (for me). They congratulated me and I was still in a bad mood over my round until I received my regional champion medal. I realized that even though my score wasn’t where I had thought it was going to be, it was still a good day on the golf course.”
AW: What were you thinking heading into your sectional against a bunch of tough teams? You still played well enough to get out. What did you like or dislike about the course and your round?
AK: “Sectionals were tough. The top team in the state was playing and we were all scared. I had played against them many times, but I wasn’t super confident about the course. On every hole, there was a blind tee shot and you really had to know where to hit the ball. There were a ton of trees that were just waiting to put your ball into a terrible spot if you hit it into them. I ended up scoring higher than I usually shoot and was not expecting to make it to state.”
AW: You get to state for the third straight year. After last year and you not playing nearly as well as you thought, what were you hoping to accomplish this time around? Did you accomplish that?
AK: “Going in, I wanted to keep my attitude where it needed to be — positive and hopeful. I needed to “play like I know how,” as my grandpa would always tell me. State conditions this year were very difficult with the wind and it was pretty cold. Every shot was different and it was hard to keep the ball where I wanted to. I could not figure out the greed speed and it rolled putts a few feet past the hole. I shot an 81-81 this year, but my freshman year, I shot a 77-77. My dad made sure to get it in my head that improvement doesn’t always show in your score, especially considering the tough conditions.”
AW: What did you like the most about your team? I know it was hard for you last year.
AK: “I loved that we could just have fun. The best golf ever was not always played, but we sure had some good laughs.”
AW: How confident were you heading into this year? Did your summer help with that?
AK: “I was not confident heading into this season. My summer season was terrible and I did not place in too many tournaments. Thankfully, I ended up getting most of the bad shots, topped tee shots and bladed chips out during the summer.”
AW: What did you like the most about playing for your older sister this year? How did she help you?
AK: “Morgan is 22 and she has already moved out of the house. I miss her a lot and I doubt she knows that. The best part of having her as my golf coach was getting to spend time with her. Even though her advice wasn’t always helpful, she definitely put a smile on my face when it mattered the most.”