R-P's Rowan Bluhm

Most people get second opinions from doctors because they didn’t like what they heard from the first one.

For Reeths-Puffer sophomore golfer Rowan Bluhm, it was the other way around.

Bluhm broke her right hand in July while playing travel softball, and was hoping her cast could come off on time for the start of the varsity golf season in late August.

The first doctor she talked to thought that might be possible, but a second doctor said more healing was needed, and she would have to be patient.

That was very bad news for Bluhm, who had just returned to golf the year before after taking four years off from the sport. She had played well toward the end of her freshman season and was hoping to pick up where she left off.

Reeths-Puffer's Rowan Bluhm

“I broke it on July 14th and it was a long recovery process,” said Bluhm, who broke her hand diving for a ball while playing third base. “I had to take it slow.

“The first doctor was optimistic at first, but the second doctor had a different opinion. It was really a bummer. I was looking forward to having a season.”

As it turned out, Bluhm did have a season – a pretty good one, at that – even though it was pretty short.

She didn’t shoot the way she hoped to in her first few tournaments after coming back and became a little frustrated.

“Rowan is a competitor,” said R-P golf coach Matt Pallett. “I know it really bothered her when she didn’t shoot as well as she thought she was capable of. We probably set her goals a little too high at first. But she practiced hard, put in some extra time, and she’s been doing very well.”

Bluhm finally found her game at the Montague Invitational in mid-September. She shot a 100 that day, made some good shots and started regaining her confidence.

Bluhm putts on a windy day at a recent tournament.

“I just started getting into the groove of everything and I had a lot of fun,” she said.

Bluhm’s biggest day of the season came at the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association Tournament, when she faced off against the best high school gofers in the county. She shot a personal best 94, finished sixth individually and won a medal for being in the top 10.

“That was great,” she said. “That was my personal record. I just started to hit all my clubs right.”

Bluhm said junior Paige Anderson, the Rockets’ top golfer, was a big help at the GMAA event.

“She was a big motivator,” Bluhm said. “She was like, ‘Come on Rowan, you can do this, you have a chance to be in the top 10.’ She’s been a great teammate through all of this.”

While Bluhm missed most of the season from a competitive standpoint, she was always part of the R-P squad.

After missing most of the season, Bluhm returned and finished sixth at the GMAA tournament.

She attended every practice and tournament with her teammates, even though she couldn’t do anything on the course.

“It was very hard, but I just talked to my teammates a lot,” Bluhm said. “There was a girl who just joined this season and I gave her a few tips.

“I just think being with your team to support them and show that you’re committed is a big thing. I didn’t want to miss anything.”

Pallett said Bluhm showed a lot of character by showing up for everything while her cast was still on.

“She was right there with us,” he said. “I called her Coach Rowan. She’s a great teammate.”

Bluhm and the Rockets will dive into postseason action on Tuesday at a Division 2 regional tournament at Arrowhead Golf Course in Lowell.

For most of the Reeths-Puffer players, it will probably mark the end of the season, because it’s very difficult to quality for the state finals. Only the top three teams out of 14 qualify, along with the top three individual golfers who are not on those teams.

Bluhm said she played Arrowhead recently, to get a feel for it, and is just hoping to have a good day and build some momentum for next season.

“I just hope to break 100,” she said. “It’s difficult.”