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Success birthright for Miami golfer

Sophomore Ben Bastel is a master of the short game according to his fellow Miami teammates.
Sophomore Ben Bastel is a master of the short game according to his fellow Miami teammates.

Trish Engelman, Staff Writer

Sophomore Ben Bastel is a master of the short game according to his fellow Miami teammates. (Michael Pickering)

Powerful, hard working and determined are only a few adjectives that could be used to describe sophomore Ben Bastel, the No. 1 player on the Miami University golf team.

Another could be precocious. Born into a family of golfers, Bastel grew up on a golf course in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and began playing when he was just four years old.

"I remember playing in my first tournament when I was nine," Bastel said. "I shot a 39 (for nine holes), which was fairly impressive, but I lost to a 12-year-old."

But Bastel understands what it's like to be second best, even in his own family.

His sister Emily, a former All-American golfer at Michigan State University, just completed her rookie season on the LPGA tour.

Among her 2005 highlights, she posted a top-ten finish at the Wendy's Championship for Children, scoring a career low 67 in the second round.

"My sister has had so much success and she is living my dream right now of playing professionally," Bastel said. "Everyone looks up to her, myself included."

However, Bastel has never felt like he was standing in his older sister's shadow.

"I never look at myself as having to fill her shoes," Bastel said. "She is setting an example for me, and I am hoping that someday I can do the same thing."

Named for the legendary golfer Ben Hogan, Bastel has always looked to Hogan as a role model.

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"He was known for his hard work," Bastel said. "They used to say he would hit golf balls until his hands bled. This helped me to get started and taught me to really work hard."

His teammates have taken notice of his work ethic.

"Ben has probably the best short game on the team," fellow sophomore Ben Wood said. "His leadership has shown through his work ethic and he is always looking for ways to improve. I know a lot of other people on the team look up to him because of this."

It hasn't been all that difficult for Bastel to emerge as leader in his own right considering the remarkable accomplishments he garnered last year.

He made both cuts at the 2005 Ohio Amateur before finishing in 34th place with rounds of 76-74-70-77 and was additionally the runner-up at the 2005 Ohio Junior Championship, shooting 73 and 72. Bastel was the only RedHawk to play in all 12 tournaments in the 2004-05 season, averaging 75.81 over 36 rounds.

Continuing his standout play this year, Bastel placed second in the Ohio State Public Links in early August with a birdie on the 72nd hole to send him into a playoff.

Bastel lost on the fourth hole of the sudden-death play, but his confidence remains steadfast.

"As a team, I really want to see us improve, gain some experience and make it to the NCAA tournament to play nationally," Bastel said.

Wood put it more succinctly.

"I think it comes down to simply trusting ourselves," Wood said.

But there is definitely room for improvement for a team comprised mostly of underclassmen still adjusting to college golf.

"From a physical standpoint, putting ... is an area where we need to improve," said Head Coach John Wiler. "Psychologically we need to really try to play without fear, having an aggressive mind-set where we really believe in our talent."

While Bastel and Wiler both agree that strides can be made on the green, the coach understands that a player of Bastel's caliber doesn't come around every day.

"Ben has a rare talent," Wiler said. "I think his game is only going to get stronger through the years."