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Accomplished Lederer Exits LBSU
by Bob Keisser, Long Beach Press-Telegram
May 6, 2007
In what was his last tournament before starting his golf career at Long
Beach State in 2003, Brett Lederer shot a 12-under 204 to win the Long
Beach Amateur Golf Championship at El Dorado Park.
It was a very nice way to embark on the next phase of your athletic career.
And then the Mayfair High grad fell into the metaphorical kudzu or a sandbar
of quicksand that is competitive golf.
Lederer was a hard-charging, consistent player for all four seasons with
the 49ers, often their best player even when teammates were winning Big
West titles (Todd Saukkola in 2004, Ryan Panichpakdeee in 2006). He was
a Big West honoree each season of his career.
He just didn't win - until last month, when he shot a 12-under 204 to
win the conference title and put an appropriate bow on his career.
"I wanted to win," Lederer said this week. "It was always
a goal, and I hadn't won, and this was my last tournament, so there was
some extra pressure there. But the way to win is to not think about winning."
Which is hard since most non-golf fans never ask a question beyond, "Did
you win?" "They don't usually ask if you finished second or
third. So this was my last chance to answer yes," he said.
Lederer had four top 10 finishes in 2003-04, including a second in the
2004 Western Intercollegiate. He finished fourth in the 2005 conference
tourney, had top 10 finishes in the Burns Intercollegiate (fifth), Callaway
Intercollegiate (eighth) and Western Intercollegiate (fourth) in 2006,
and came back from a fall injury to finish sixth in the Western again
this past season.
"People don't realize how difficult it is (to finish in the top 10),"
he said. "There are usually at least 80 golfers in the field. You
can play very well and finish fifth. You can finish third in a field of
100 and you beat 97 other golfers. You finish second and you realize that
if one particular guy stays home, you win. It's hard."
That's golf. It's also a great way to prepare oneself for the next level.
Lederer just tied up a three-year sponsorship agreement that will allow
him to start the process of making the professional tour of his choice
without the pressure of having to earn major paychecks.
The Long Beach-steeped Lederer - his grandfather George was a Press-Telegram
staff writer, his parents Tom and Jeannie are 49er grads, and his uncle
Rich has his own popular baseball Web site - will play a few more amateur
events before making his pro debut at the Long Beach Open this summer.
He will then hit the road and start the qualifying school process.
There are various stages of that, and most young golfers aim to make the
Nationwide Tour, the first level under the PGA Tour. Other options are
the Canadian Tour, where the competition is high but the money small;
tours in Europe and Asia; and the West Coast Hooters and Golden State
tours.
"Brett is aware of the big picture," 49ers coach Bob Livingstone
said. "He's heard the stories from (former 49ers) Paul (Goydos) and
John (Mallinger) about the tour. Mally was always one to observe the best
players and Brett does the same thing. Brett's strength is his ability
to think his way around a course."
Goydos was a hard-playing pro for several years before family responsibilities
and injuries forced him to cut back his dates. He's now enjoying a resurgence
after a second-place finish last year. Mallinger has had two third-place
finishes this season in his first full year on the PGA Tour.
"My college career parallels what they did," Lederer said. "I've
been friends with John for years. I caddied for him at Canadian qualifying
school and I've watched him go through the experience to where he is now."
His successor at Long Beach State admits he will benefit from having watched
Lederer this season. Michael Drake had an excellent freshman season, finishing
third in the Burns Invitational and tying for eighth in an event at USF.
"He's had the best finish of any freshman I've ever had," Livingstone
said. "He finished third in Hawaii (Burns) among 120 players. He's
also more aggressive than other players I've ever had at this age. Brett
likes to plan and plot. Mike is just more aggressive.
"But there were times this year when I'd watch him and see he was
picking his spots, that he had studied the course and decided where he
could be aggressive and where he needed to back off."
Drake says having Lederer as a guide helped his first season of college
golf. "There are big differences between high school and college
golf," he said. "I had to deal with 36-hole days and travel
and harder courses.
"I just wanted to get better each time out, and watching how Brett
went about his game, and coming back from an injury and getting better
each tournament, was valuable to me."
Topped by seeing the senior win his final college event. Winning isn't
everything, but for the past and future of 49er golf, it was a nice experience
to share.
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