Back-to-Back Club Champion Ace Brown is Carroll Lake's Youngest

McKENZIE — Ace Brown, a junior at McKenzie High School, is the back-to-back champion of the Carroll Lake Club Championship in the men's division (under 65). His win last year made him the youngest ever to hold the title at age 16.

At this year's match, in August, Brown claimed the crown with a combined score of 141. Last year's win, in September, was on a 148.

Brown is a standout on the MHS golf team, earning match medalist four times during the recently-concluded season. He also had two second-place individual finishes and had the top score among his team in their third-place finish in the region tournament.

Last year, the Rebels did advance to the state tournament, where they finished in third as a team. Brown was tied for eighth among 62 individuals.

Coming within a few strokes, a few bounces and rolls, away from a state tournament berth this year has left Ace itching for another shot in his senior year. "We definitely have the potential to do it," Brown told The Banner.

The son of Beau Brown and Heather Megaw, Ace said he got into golf because of his dad. "The men at Carroll Lake would tell me how good my dad was. We're a competitive family. We always want to be the best in what we do."

He says he's always been around golf, but really started to focus on it when he joined the middle school team.

Besides his aspirations for state-level glory next year, Brown hopes to continue playing at the college level.

When asked about the difference in playing against his peers at the high school level versus adults in the Carroll Lake championship, Brown said he feels more relaxed facing the older competition, mostly because there's so much more on the line in high school matches.

It took a comeback of about five strokes to defend his club title this year. Brown said, "It showed me that it's not over until it's over."

Besides shining on the links, Brown also excels on the diamond as a member of the Rebel baseball team and in the classroom, where he sports a 3.7 GPA.