Brocklebank Having One of Those Years : Golf: Quality practices and relaxation drills help El Modena senior bounce back from mediocre junior season.

It was only for bragging rights, but El Modena golf Coach Lynn Meyer thought his three-under-par 33 was an unbeatable round. Surely, none of the high school golfers playing at Green River in Corona could match it.

Not even senior captain Sean Brocklebank, right?

“I felt bad having to tell him,” Brocklebank recalled. “He said he was sure that this time he had me beat.

“I said, ‘Sorry, Coach, it was just one of those days.’ ”

Brocklebank had turned in the best nine-hole round of his life, a five-under 31, which tied the Orange County record shared by Tiger Woods, formerly of Western, and Valencia’s John Lee.

It has been one of those years for Brocklebank, who has bounced back from a mediocre junior season to become one of the best players in the county.

Today, Brocklebank will try to prove he is among the best in the Southern Section at the section individual championship at Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs.

Brocklebank’s postseason already has been memorable. First, he won the Century League individual title, shooting five-over for two rounds at Rancho California in Temecula. Then he was medalist at the Southern regional team competition, shooting two-under 70 at El Toro Marine Base.

His score helped the Vanguards, who struggled to finish third in their league and qualify for the tournament, finish a surprising fifth at 394. Meyer said he believes it was the first time an El Modena team broke 400.

“I think one of the reasons we played so well is that we were just happy to be there,” Brocklebank said.

That’s a sentiment with which Brocklebank has become familiar this season. It wasn’t always the case.

Last year, Brocklebank started the high school season with a four handicap and performed to that level early. Then, feeling the pressure of being the No. 1 player on an average team, he wilted during league play.

“I think I took it upon myself to shoot nine-under every round,” Brocklebank said.

Turns out, it was closer to nine over.

But with the help of Dave LiCalsi, a teaching professional at PGA West in La Quinta, Brocklebank averaged less than half a stroke over par per nine holes this season.

“It wasn’t really too big of a surprise because he’s my only golfer who plays year round,” Meyer said. “He works really hard at it. He hits hundreds and hundreds of golf balls.”

However, Brocklebank said the key to his improvement is quality of practice not quantity.

LiCalsi has given Brocklebank drills to improve his creativity and help him stay relaxed and maintain focus during competition.

One lesson, Brocklebank taught himself. The day after shooting five under at Green River, he was overly excited and shot five over.

“I learned you have to keep an even emotional level,” he said. “When I went out there, I thought nothing could go wrong.”

Now when things go wrong, Brocklebank brushes it off and concentrates on the next shot.

His calmer demeanor and 6-foot-4 build--which helps him regularly hit drives farther than 300 yards--have helped him earn a golf scholarship to Long Beach State.

Today, he hopes to prolong his high school career by finishing among the top 22 to advance to the CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. championships June 7 in San Diego.

“I’m just going to be happy to be there again,” said Brocklebank, 17. “I’m hoping to do well enough to qualify. I’m not sure if anyone from my school has ever done that.”