‘The Big Hitter’: How the long ball led this Williamsville senior to the state finals
Will Seman knows how to harness the full power of the driver.
His ability to smash the ball 315-325 yards off the tee undoubtedly gives him a leg up over the rest of the field. It’s a distinction he has always carried with him at The Rail Golf Course to the point it’s just basic common knowledge.
The 6-foot-3 Williamsville senior inherits some of that distance from his dad, Danny. The latter is a former professional long driver.
More: Williamsville's Will Seman, SHG's Izzy Hassebrock lead area golfers at sectionals
“He has length that you just can't teach and he's had it since he was eight or nine years old,” said Williamsville coach Jesse Noelke, who is also the PGA professional at The Rail. “I remember in camps him being on the driving range telling me or maybe some of the other volunteer coaches, 'You can call me The Big Hitter.'
“Obviously height plays a role in it, but the speed he puts on the club, you cannot teach that and that's something that sets him apart, no question about it, over other players.”
Sectional champion
Seman's flair for the long ball ultimately prompted him to pursue golf rather than football where his cousin, Jake, set multiple school records at quarterback.
But Seman said he needed to figure out the rest of his game to complement the driver.
He has found his groove.
He approaches his third straight state finals appearance after securing the top podium at the Class 2A Peoria Richwoods Sectional on Monday.
He shot even-par 72 at Kellogg Golf Course to win by one stroke over Jacksonville’s Colton Barr and Mahomet-Seymour’s Leif Olson.
“It was interesting, to say the least,” said Seman, who previously won the Class 1A Auburn Regional as a sophomore. “I didn't even know it until my dad came up to me on the 18th hole. He was like, ‘I think you just won.’ I didn't expect it at all. It was definitely a shock."
More: Sacred Heart-Griffin, Jacksonville, South County capture boys golf regional titles
Positive demeanor
He also won the Sangamon County tournament in a playoff against Chatham Glenwood’s Drew Downen and additionally earned second place at the Sangamo Conference tournament only behind senior teammate Leo Keebler’s 72 by two strokes.
“You put in your time, to say the least -- 1,000 shots to make up one bad one and countless hours weeks after weeks after weeks, it's just never ending,” Seman said.
Seman rarely missed a day of practice and used a golf simulator at home to get through the winter.
He cashed in on that experience with a stronger mindset at sectionals. He bogeyed the first two holes before reeling off 12 straight pars. He finished with two birdies on the last four holes.
“My attitude is probably at an all-time best by far, like whenever I get a bad shot, I just kind of get over it and just try to make the most of the next shot. It's pretty much all you can do,” Seman said.
More: Izzy Hassebrock leads Sacred Heart-Griffin to girls golf regional title
Some company
Freshman teammate Max Fisher also advanced to the state finals with that same kind of grit. He tied for 11th place overall with a 76.
“I didn't think I would get this far, but it's been a fun year,” Fisher said. “Really, sectionals was a learning experience, but I played well to the end. I shot 2-under through the last five or six holes. It really felt good.”
The game beckoned Fisher at a young age. It originally started with mini-golf at the now-defunct Glowgolf at the White Oaks Mall.
“They knew my name there,” Fisher said. “I would go there like every weekend and just play.”
Fisher and Seman will appear at the Weibring Golf Club in Normal on Friday. The 2A state finals conclude on Saturday and will cap what has been a stellar year for Williamsville, which also included another previous state finalist in senior Cole Brewer.
More: Here are the State Journal-Register's boys golfers of the year and all-area team
The Bullets previously competed in 1A in Seman’s previous three years.
“It's been really cool because I have seen both Max and Will from the time they were eight years old at junior golf camps in the summer here,” Noelke said. “And so kind of seeing them develop year after year and to get to this level, it's a really cool experience.”
Seman, who plans to golf after high school, will savor the moment with a relaxed approach.
“It could be my last golf match ever as a high schooler Friday, so just go out and enjoy it,” Seman said. “I want to make the most of it.”
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA boys golf: Williamsville’s Will Seman scorches tee shots to state
