50 DECEMBER 2021 By Sabrina Proffitt For athletic sisters Brooke and Mackenzie Bream, their source of entertainment during last year’s shutdown came from an unlikely place. They decided to try their hands at a sport they had never played before and were surprised by the outcome. In 2020, Brooke was a senior at Xavier College Prep, and Mackenzie was a sophomore at Arcadia High School. With their sports games and practices canceled, the pair were at a loss for how to pass the time. One day, they headed over to the Arizona Country Club to play golf on a whim, and what started as a joke changed their athletic careers. “Right about the time quarantine hit, I thought it would be fun to try and play golf with one of my friends. I told Brooke she had to come play,” Mackenzie said. “We started going every single day and started loving it.” The duo had never really liked golf before, even though their father had begged them to play with him years before. “It kind of started as a joke,” Brooke said. “We were just going to go out there and try to hit the ball and not miss it, but then we started going out there all the time, and we thought ‘oh, shoot, we’re actually getting better.’” Brooke said that she thought about playing at the beginning of her senior year and was planning to play in college but considered that she wouldn’t be good enough at the sport. “We kept working and getting closer and closer to the end of the year,” she said. As the girls worked on their skills at the course, their mother, Shelly, would often be approached by neighbors asking if she knew how often they were practicing. “As parents, we were really strict during the pandemic,” Shelly said. “It was really scary. But we said ‘go outside and do stuff’ because that’s what you could do. Golf was something positive that came out of this, which is great.” Mackenzie has participated in nine Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA) events since she first picked up a golf club in March 2020. As a junior, she played on AHS’s girls’ golf team and the team won first in the district. Mackenzie herself won second overall in the district. Brooke is a freshman at the University of Nebraska and plays on the girls’ golf team, where she was a walk-on after playing in 12 JGAA competitions. She ended the season in the number three position for JGAA Player of the Year honors. “They found something they really liked and worked hard to get where they are. It’s a testament to hard work paying off, and I’m so proud of them both,” Shelly said. Arcadia sisters took a swing at a new sport…and kept swinging Mackenzie Bream Brooke Bream PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHELLY BREAM By Melissa Hirschl Under the leadership of varsity Coach Jon Shores, the Brophy golf team has experienced the sweet smell of success – three times in a row. During September and October, the team won nine of the nine-hole matches they played against high schools across the Valley in addition to three tournaments. According to Shores, the team was on point this year with the help of starters Charlie Palmer, Brayden Bozak, Jack Dozer, George Rubelsky and Henry Dall. “This season’s success has been because of each of the players,” senior Michael Kuhl said. “We had a competitive team of 12, and we strived to be the best version of ourselves. Golf is a game that tests patience and concentration.” Shores said that the time and energy expended by the team were critical reasons for their success. He also attributes their achievements to ancillary forms of support. “The boys hire swing, fitness and mental coaches, who focus on motivation and resilience,” he explained. The season began the second week of August and culminated in early November with the State Championships in Tucson. Brophy posted a two-day total of eight under par at the championship, finishing in second place behind Chandler Hamilton’s 35 under par. Three players finished in the top 10; Charlie Palmer in fifth, George Rubelsky in sixth and Jack Dozer in seventh. Brophy golfers enhanced their skills with afternoon matches of 15 players playing nine-holes against two other schools. Tournaments, by contrast, are two-day events of 10 to 20 teams, with 50-100 players playing 18 holes each day. The team’s winning streak began at the Varsity Invitational Tournament at Grayhawk Golf Course in Scottsdale, held on August 27 and 28. “They had their best team score in tournament history,” said Shores. “They played four-under par with sophomore Tyler Spielman posting a tournament record of ten under par as an individual.” The next cause for celebration occurred at their second tournament on September 3-4 at the Brophy Rodeo played at the Wigwam Resort Golf Club in Litchfield Park. The team’s trajectory stayed on course when they once again won at the Encanterra Tournament International the weekend of September 23-24. Hosted by Perry High School in Gilbert, the event was held in San Tan Valley. Discussing the allure of the game, player George Rubelsky said, “I wasn’t planning on playing golf in high school, but once I tried it, I was hooked. This has been a very competitive year that’s been amazing and unforgettable. I feel like I’ve gotten to know all my teammates very well, as we’ve grown our team chemistry since the beginning of the season. I’m looking forward to playing in college.” Shores described the multiple ways he believes golf impacts teens’ lives. “I love the sport, but I also love the fact it’s an excellent avenue to help kids learn about life beyond high school and beyond competitive golf. Golf skills include patience, dealing with adversity, determination, trusting in yourself, and learning to deal with disappointment. It’s a game you can play for the rest of your life. I’ve been coaching at Brophy for 21 years, and I’ll coach as long as my wife lets me,” Shores said with a grin. Brophy golf’s undefeated season ends at the state championship Jack Dozer, Alec Hilgers, Dylan Boenning, Nico Nuez, Scottie Belgrad, Tyler Spielman, George Rubelsky, Charlie Palmer, Brayden Bozak, Mike Kuhl, Trevor Karber and Henry Dall. PHOTO BY JON SHORES