Westfield High School senior golfer Alec Cesare views his mental game as his biggest improvement.
“I don’t get down on myself when I hit bad shots and make big mistakes,” Cesare said. “I know if I have a bad hole, I can make it up.”
The right-handed Cesare plays in the No. 1 spot for the top-ranked Shamrocks. His brother, Jake, a sophomore, plays the No. 2 spot.
“Alec has made a huge commitment to his physical strength the past couple of years, which is allowing him to hit the ball higher and farther than ever before,” Shamrocks coach Josh Bryant said. “Alec has also improved his course management through pre-round preparations on his own and in-round adjustments that allow him to score well even when he doesn’t have his best stuff.”
Cesare has lofty goals for himself and his team.
“My goal is to win state finals individually and as a team,” Cesare said.
Cesare, who has signed to compete for Ball State University, is one of the state’s top-ranked players.
“Alec has focused on continuous improvement during his time at Westfield,” Bryant said. “He arrived already having a decorated junior golf prep career, including a trip to the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals in Augusta (Ga.) in 2019. He continues to push himself every day individually to maximize the most out of his ability, which, along with our senior class, pushes the rest of our program to new heights.”
Last year, the Shamrocks won conference, sectional and regional championships and placed second in the IHSAA state finals, losing to Guerin Catholic by one stroke. Cesare finished tied for 15th among individuals. He finished tied for 12th in the state finals as a sophomore.
“It was honestly disappointing last year to see the way it ended,” Cesare said. “We played great and we let it slip away on the backside. We’re still frustrated and upset about that. We’ve worked and practiced even harder to win it (this year).”
In the summer of 2022, Cesare finished tied for 11th in the Indiana Amateur. He has won 35 junior golf tournaments through the years.
Cesare, who picked up golf at an early age, played on the freshman basketball team for the Shamrocks before deciding to concentrate on golf. He committed to Ball State in July and plans to major in finance or sports management,
“I really liked the head coach (Mike Fleck) and the way he coaches,” he said. “The golfers are all good guys. I’ve grown up playing against them. It was a no-brainer decision.”
Favorite subject: Accounting
Favorite athlete: Cameron Smith
Favorite movie: “Happy Gilmore”
Favorite vacation spot: Hawaii