Mountain Pointe's Tuttle rebounds from golf team cut

Persistence and passion are paying off for Colton Tuttle.

The Mountain Pointe 17-year-old senior is on track to be named the Junior Golf Association of Arizona Player of the Year in his age group this season.

This was his first season playing with that junior golf organization and he didn't even get serious about the game until four years ago.

"My dad started me playing when I was about 4," Tuttle explained. "But it was only the last three or four years that I got competitive. I started going to the range more and more and just developed a passion for golf."

He was playing in a golf tournament somewhere in the state almost every weekend during the summer and had seven top five finishes, including a victory in the PING Arizona Junior Masters, among 12 tournaments.

But Tuttle didn't even make the Pride boys team as a freshman.

"Colton was the smallest kid out there as a freshman and got cut from the team," Mountain Pointe coach Tony Ramseyer recalled. "But he had a great attitude and a passion for the game."

The next season Tuttle tried out for the team again, made it and was named the Pride boys golf team Most Valuable Player as a junior last year.

"You gotta' have to have a passion for the game if you're going to be doing it every day," Tuttle said. "There are a lot of good players, great players actually, in the state and if you want to stay up to their level and be competitive, you have to almost play every day."

This year Tuttle will be the only senior and the Pride's team captain.

"He got a late start," Ramseyer said, "but there is no doubt in my mind that he will be one of the top five players in the state this year. He's one of the most dedicated golfers on the course."

Even though he started from four to six years after his competition, he has made up ground fast and was aiming for the JGAA Player of the Year honors.

"I had expectations and I knew I could be there," Tuttle said, "but I didn't expect it. It hasn't really hit me and probably won't until it's official, but it's been fun to come out the first year and be able to play with guys who have been playing for a while."

When the award becomes official Tuttle will be the top golfer from among about 150 players in his age group.

That sets him up at Mountain Pointe to be compared with other top-notch golfers who went on to play in Division I college programs like Brett Carter (University of Arizona) and Cameron Edens (Arizona State). Edens was a senior when Tuttle was a sophomore.

"I'd say Colton is very close to Cameron and Brett," Ramseyer added. "He is a great student and his etiquette is tremendous. Colleges should be looking at him and he has a great opportunity to play at the next level, which is want he wants to do."

Tuttle has been working with Kene Bensel, a PGA Master instructor, who helped run a golf camp for Mountain Pointe at the Pride's home course at the Ahwatukee Country Club during the summer.

"My short game could be better, but I'm driving the ball pretty well right now and hitting my spots," Tuttle said. "We work a lot on course management and the mental part of the game."

After not making the team as a freshman Tuttle has stepped into the leadership role with the Pride this season.

"I guess that's a little pressure," Tuttle said, "but these younger guys are all good players and set a good example."

The Pride finished 10th in the state 5A Division 1 golf championship last season.

"We didn't do as well as we hoped to last year," Tuttle said, "but we expect to be up with the top teams in the state this time."

He's counting on junior Conrad Isley and sophomore Michael Anderson to help the Pride reach that goal.

"Conrad and Mike have really stepped up this summer," Tuttle said. "Those younger guys are making it tough to stay ahead of them."