All-Area Boys’ Golfer of the Year: St. Francis’ Altmayer never lost sight of goal

Tommy Altmayer wasn’t certain if he’d be in line to qualify for the CIF postseason, a goal he’d set before the first tee shot of the season.

The St. Francis High senior golfer had put up some consistent scores throughout the campaign, especially in the ultra-competitive Mission League that features Loyola and Harvard-Westlake.

At the league individual final at Brookside Golf Course No. 1 in Pasadena, Altmayer needed a top-nine finish to advance to the CIF Southern Section Individual Tournament at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo.

Altmayer had to endure a few anxious moments while waiting to see if his goal would be met or derailed. He got the last spot, opening the door for him to participate in the CIF postseason for the first time.

“You don’t want to get away from your goals you set,” Altmayer said. “I shot an [eight-over-par 80] on the last day and I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d be moving on. I entered the final round in eighth and I didn’t have such a great round. I got the last spot and I was happy to move on.

“It was such a relief when I found out I made it, because it had been out of my hands while I waited.”

Altmayer enjoyed a successful postseason run for the Golden Knights, who finished fourth in league before placing eighth in the CIF Southern Section Central Team Divisional.

Altmayer tied for sixth at the CIF Southern Section Northern Individual Tournament and was the only area player to reach the CIF Southern Section Individual Golf Finals and Southern California Golf Assn. Regional Qualifying Tournament.

It was because of those accomplishments that Altmayer was selected the 2016 All-Area Boys’ Golfer of the Year, as voted by the sportswriters of the La Cañada Valley Sun, Burbank Leader and Glendale News-Press. It marked the first time the Southern Methodist University-bound Altmayer was bestowed with the recognition.

Altmayer proved to be a pillar for St. Francis, which only had its regular starting lineup intact for two matches. He steadily gained traction with his long and short game to enjoy a breakthrough season.

“You set your goals and you’re happy to achieve them,” said Altmayer, who shot a 76.6 average through the season. “You have to be willing to put in the work, from providing leadership to practicing all parts of your game. I came into the season wanting to improve my short game, from putting to chipping. When you can do that, you gain more confidence within yourself.”

Things came together for Altmayer with his appearance in the individual tournament on May 9.

First, he chose to take a practice round at Las Posas to give him a more comprehensive outlook of the course layout.

“One of the best things I could have done, because I’d never been there before,” Altmayer said of his practice round. “If you’d never played there before, then you might struggle because you have to learn the set-up and the wind conditions. In the end, it made a big difference.”

Competing against many of the top golfers from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara counties, Altmayer held his own.

Altmayer enjoyed his finest moment of the season when he carded a four-over-par 75 to tie for sixth. He finished with three birdies. The cut was 77 and the top 20 from the field of 102 advanced.

“I felt confident coming in and I could visualize just about every shot,” Altmayer said. “Every part of my game continued to click.

“I just thought about trying to qualify and not necessarily win the round. I’m thinking about not trying to be a hero and cut any corners on certain holes because that’s where you can land in trouble. I had a good round, one of my best on the year.”

Altmayer found himself in some elite company while advancing to the qualifying tournament on May 19 at Mission Lakes Country Club in Desert Hot Springs.

Unfortunately for Altmayer, his season came to a close after he registered an 11-over-par 83. He finished tied for 49th.

“The conditions were very hot and windy and it’s such a tricky course,” said Altmayer, who also took part in a practice round on the Coachella Valley-based site. “The winds were gusting throughout most of the round and the temperature was in the 90s.

“I felt confident and excited and I didn’t really play too bad. I had a couple of holes where I had a triple- and double-bogey and that set me back. I badly wanted to get to the state qualifier at Brookside in the next stage. It turned out to be a bit of a frustrating and bittersweet day for me.”

St. Francis Coach Kyle Ostrom said Altmayer, who carded an even-par 72 at the Central Team Divisional at Lakewood Country Club in Lakewood on May 16, proved to be consistent throughout the season.

“He went out there and earned everything,” said Ostrom, a former All-Area Boys’ Golf Coach of the Year. “He found himself needing a top-nine finish in league and he got that.

“He never doubted himself throughout the season and that helped him in the postseason. He realized his strengths and limitations and worked on improving his overall skill. He settled in and found a groove that led to him having a successful season. In the end, he has a lot to be proud of.”

St. Francis’ Aidan Tracey said Altmayer had a splendid season and often set the tone for the Golden Knights, who had a 392 at the Central team divisional.

“We were partners during our league matches and I just saw him continuing to get better all of the time,” said Tracey, a junior. “He’s got great course management skills and that’s something that helped him in CIF. He had such a great run at St. Francis and a season that he’ll remember for a long time.”