Smith has banner summer on NJG tour, wins POY honor and state tour championship

When it comes to playing that game of golf, there is one Sutton player who has seemingly compiled one of the most successful and humble games in the state of Nebraska, Myles Smith, the son of BJ Smith and Meredith Smith.

During his first season in the “big boy’s league,” Smith was one of 11 of the youngest players in the field of 250 or more players to take part in the Nebraska Junior Golf Tour 16 and over division capped this past summer season with not only a state championship, winning the NJG tour championships on Monday, Aug. 3, but he also captured Player of the Year honors by nearly 220 points over second place David Watson of Lincoln.

To take him to the top of his division, Smith, in 16 tournaments over the course of the summer tour, won eight tournaments, he was second three times, and finished in the top 10 of all 16 tournaments.

His scoring average was 72 in all tournament action, with his best coming at the Ashland Country Club, where he won the tournament with a 6-under par 65.

Smith followed up that tournament win in Ashland with a 3-under par 69 to claim the NJG Tour Championship.

When asked about his season in general, Smith shared, “It didn’t come easy. There is a lot of work, practice and time put into not only competing at that level, but to have the success that I had.”

Work isn’t something Smith shies away from, to put it mildly. He shared that he first picked up a golf club at the ripe old age of two. Ever since then, people involved in the golf scene at Sutton’s Fox Hollow Country Club has witnessed first hand how Smith has grown.

During his first season in the oldest age division on the NJG tour, Smith won at Ashland, to claim the tour championship and claimed the Player of the Year title. He also won tournaments at the Table Creek Golf Course in Nebraska City, where he claimed top honors at Indian Trails south of Beemer, he topped the field at Centura Hills near Cairo, and claimed gold at the Lakeside Golf Course just south of the dam on Johnson’s Lake south of Lexington. He cruised to the win at the Elks Country Club near Columbus and captured gold at the Southern Hills Country Club southwest of Hastings, all before winning in Ashland and claiming the tour championship at Quarry Oaks Country Club, also near Ashland to cap the season.

Smith’s runner-up finishes came in action at Indianhead Golf Course in Grand Island, at the Wild Horse Golf Course northwest of Gothenburg, and placed second at the Hidden Valley Golf Course in east Lincoln.

His preparation for tournament play in the highly talented field of players in his age group is primarily the same for each, but Smith admitted, “there are some of these tournaments where the nerves are running really high.”

“The tour championship was especially nerve racking with how it started.”

Smith opened the tour championship with a double bogey, setting him back at two over par, but he quickly got back to even par on the next hole with an eagle to reset his nerves and his game.

“That could have been disastrous for me, but after I had the double on the first hole, I just told myself that I’m not falling apart today.”

He didn’t fall apart, that’s a fact. He was one over par after the front nine holes of play. On the back nine, the Sutton sophomore-to-be, was lights out, trimming off five strokes to shoot a four-under-par 32 on the back nine and finish with a threeunder-par 69 to win the tour title by two strokes over Gretna golfer Drake Peterson, and Elkhorn golfer Grady Fredrickson.

“I felt really confident in my play I’d say after I finished the ninth hole, as I birdied that hole and made the turn to the back nine on a high.”

Smith added, “I went on to eagle the 12th hole. I had a birdie on the 13th, then after a par on both the 14th and 15th holes, I had another birdie on the 16th, not locking in the win, but feeling like all I had to do was play par golf at the worst to capture the tournament, and secure player of the year honors.”

When asked about what it’s like to be one of the youngest players on tour, going against kids that will graduate this coming spring, and eventually wearing a target on his back, Smith was quick to respond, “for me, it was actually pretty cool playing with that kind of target on me. It helped to keep me channeled in and focused on what I knew I could get, and gain not only player of the year honors, but ultimately to win the tour championship tournament and seven other tournament titles.”

Smith estimates, on the low end, that he spends over 40 hours practicing each week, either in Sutton, or on other courses. He usually tried to get to most of the courses he played this year before each tournament. Some of the courses he knew well, some he played for the first time.

His game is at such a high level, that when asked what part of his game requires the most work, putting was his quick response.

“Putting can ruin a game so fast that I work on that part of my game the most, but any part of my game can go south on me if I don’t channel my focus in and stay focused.”

“The toughest part of my game in tournament action is making sure I get out of the gate fast, shooting well early, that’s why I was a little stressed out after the first hole in the tour championship, but after I eagled the second hole, my nerves eased, I was able to get back into a rhythm and go on to win.”

To say that Smith’s inaugural season in the “big boy’s league” is purely an understatement. Smith, who graduates from Sutton in 2029, went up against kids who graduate this year (2027), or next year (2028).

There’s no doubt that there is no limit on what Smith can ultimately do during the rest of his high school career, and during his final three season’s on the Nebraska Junior Golf Tour.