State Boys Golf: Salme ends prep career with top-15 state finish
May 22—TUMWATER — If nothing else, Adna High School's Braeden Salme has been consistent at the Class 1B/2B state championships. He has yet to have a 36-hole score above 170 and his final placement hovers around the top-15.
Much of the same transpired on Wednesday at Tumwater Valley Golf Course. Still, there was a feeling of disappointment.
Salme recorded two triple bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 to end his second round 13-over par (85) and finish the tournament with a 166 and tie for 13th.
"It is definitely the worst golf I have played in three years," Salme said. "I'm still placing at state. I'm still pumped to have this opportunity."
The senior carded three triple bogeys in his final six holes. He lost a couple balls off tee shot slices. He three-putted the Par-5 18th and finished the back-nine 10-over par.
It was a stark contrast from a 3-over front that featured a birdie on No. 7.
"I played pretty good golf for about 30 holes then it all went to crap," Salme said.
After a first round of 9-over and in the top-10 on the leaderboard, the right-hander kicked off his round with two pars. He had a couple bogeys, but never had the eye-popping score.
Until the Par-4 13th that was his first triple. It came after he went birdie-par on Nos. 11 and 12.
"I just lost confidence and I couldn't figure it out," Salme said.
It was the final high school athletic event Salme donned the royal blue for the Pirates. He leaves as one of the better basketball players to come through Adna and a three-time state qualifier in golf.
He posed for photos with his support group that followed him for two days by the WIAA state signage after he turned in his scorecard.
"It has been awesome, the most fun and given me the most memories," Salme said.
Golf will be the sport Salme focuses on at the next level. He'll play for the South Puget Sound Community College Clippers and his home course will be Tumwater Valley.
He decided to forgo redshirt opportunities in basketball to keep playing golf.
"I am excited," Salme said. "Most people are done with competitive sports after high school. To have the opportunity is really cool."
The other area golfer that made it to the second day was Rainier freshman Joshua Peralta. He finished tied for 21st on the leaderboard with a two-day score of 172. He was one of three freshmen — plus two eighth graders — to finish inside the top-25.
The district champ carded an 88 on his final 18 holes.
"It is very competitive, (it) felt like districts just a little bit more pressure," Peralta said. "It just wasn't my day."
He started the day with three straight pars, then four consecutive bogeys. Once he turned on the back nine, he had a birdie of No. 12 between a bogey and two doubles.
Peralta ran into trouble on No. 14, hitting his tee shot into the thick rough and struggled to get the ball out. He ended up with a quadruple bogey.
"I didn't want to take a penalty," Peralta said. "I was not focusing."
Yet he responded with back-to-back pars on the next two holes. Peralta is hopeful the experience will push him forward next spring and the remainder of his prep career.
"I can learn from hitting my approach shots better," he said. "I tend to hit my irons with a push. Just being smart with the placement."
