Led by 'shadow' golfer, Brighton qualifies out of 'state's toughest regional'
NORTHVILLE — Given the caliber of his teammates, Andrew Daily’s accomplishments could get overlooked in the recent history of Brighton golf.
They shouldn’t.
Daily has played in the same lineup with 2021 state Division 1 champion Davis Codd and 2022 all-stater Winston Lerch.
But the Bulldogs wouldn’t have qualified for three straight state tournaments for the first time since 1998 without the dependable play of Daily.
Daily shot 3-under-par 69 to place fourth individually, leading Brighton to a second-place finish Wednesday at Salem Hills Golf Club in what coach James Dewling emphasizes is “historically, the toughest regional in the state.”
Brighton shot 296 to finish eight strokes behind defending state champion Detroit Catholic Central. Northville grabbed the third and final berth to the state tournament with a 300.
Howell shot 308, a score good enough to advance from most regionals, but took fifth out of 17 teams.
For Daily, Wednesday’s performance was the continuation of a torrid finish to his senior season. It’s the third time in his last six events that he’s shot below par.
“Everyone knows Winston Lerch for the last couple years,” Dewling said. “There’s always that one shadow player who finds his way and is motivated by a player like Winston. You can see it all the way through Brighton’s golf history and through the state. Good players work hard to match that.”
Players like Daily are prepared to take on the state’s best golfers because of the way they compete against one another.
“We’re always pushing each other,” said Daily, who will play for Wayne State University. “We play a lot together. It’s a lot of fun just competing with the whole team. It’s always a grind out there with the team.”
Having a strong grasp on the mental side of the game helped Daily put together his 3-under-par round Wednesday. He started with bogeys on two of his first three holes, but was able to lean on the confidence he’s built throughout the season to not let the slow start fester throughout the round.
Daily got back to par by nine holes and finished with three birdies on his final seven holes.
“I just stayed confident and it got better after that,” he said. “Just knowing I can still play good golf, even if some bad things happen. Staying confident is a big thing.”
The last time the Bulldogs qualified for three consecutive state tournaments was when they went to nine in a row from 1990-98. The only other time they had a streak of three or more was from 1959-61.
Wednesday’s round was Brighton’s lowest in a regional since shooting 288 in 1997.
Daily, Lerch and Matt Doyle will be competing in their third state tournament June 9-10 at The Meadows in Allendale.
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“We were aiming for (the regional championship), but it’s just a qualifier to get to states,” Lerch said. “It’s a big deal, something we’re really happy about. There’s nothing to be upset about today.
“It’s the hardest region in the state, a lot of great teams. I was looking at teams like Howell and South Lyon East; anyone could have come out and done well on this course, too. We weren’t taking anything for granted today.”
Lerch tied for seventh with a 74, junior Riley Morton tied for 13th with a 76 and Doyle tied for 20th with a 77 to complete Brighton’s scoring.
Howell’s future looks bright, as two sophomores led the Highlanders to their best finish since placing fifth in 2017.
Zach Spencer and Luke Downing tied for 13th place with 76s. Seniors Hayden Sturos and Nolan Cuellar tied for 24th with 78s.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton golfers qualify out of 'state's toughest regional'
