Last year, thanks in large part to a quadruple bogey late in his regional round, Robbie DeNove fell just short of qualifying for the PIAA state golf tournament.

This year, DeNove, a junior at Shady Side Academy, set out to make sure he wasn't left out again.

"My goal at the start of the season was to make it to states," DeNove said. "I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to finish at states. My goal was just to get there."

DeNove took the first step at the WPIAL championships on Oct. 7 at the Diamond Run Golf Club in Sewickley.

A Penn Hills resident, he shot a 1-over 73 to tie for fourth place and advance to the PIAA Western Regional. DeNove was the only Shady Side Academy golfer to advance.

The PIAA Western Regional took place yesterday at Tom's Run Golf Course, Chestnut Ridge Resort, in Blairsville. The top 22 finishers qualified for the PIAA state tournament, which will take place Monday and Tuesday at Heritage Hills Resort in York.

"I feel like I should be able to get to states," DeNove said before the start of the regional. "I just need to play how I've been playing, nothing spectacular, and I'll move on."

DeNove is playing some of his best golf at the right time. He fired a 75 to finish in a tie for third at the WPIAL semifinals and shot a 74 at the WPIAL team championships Monday.

"He's been one of the best players on the golf course in each of his last three tournaments," Shady Side Academy coach Philip Beard II said.

Added DeNove: "I don't think I've ever played at this level for this period of time."

DeNove said he set out this season to improve the mental aspect of his game.

"I enjoy that part," he said. "Golf is just one big mind game. A lot of people have good swings. It's all about desire. It's all about who has the strongest mind."

Extra practice at the Fox Chapel and Oakmont country clubs has helped, too.

"I've practiced harder than I normally would because I know, late in the season, things don't come as easy," DeNove said. "I'm going to the range every day after school."

Beard has noticed the improvement.

"The strength of both Robbie's game and his season for us has been his consistency," he said.

"He hasn't had a single bad match. That wasn't the case last year, and I think the biggest difference has been the development of his mental approach. It's so much more consistent, more solid, that he is able to work with whatever swing he's got that day and somehow produce a good score."

An example of this mental approach was evident at the WPIAL championships. DeNove, who was tied for first place with a 34 through nine holes, made it a point not to look at the scoreboard until his final hole.

"I really had no idea how I did, score-wise, until the finish," DeNove said. "That's the way I like it to be."

Beard believes this approach helped DeNove.

"He went in just wanting to move on -- to take that next step to making states -- and wasn't necessarily focused on winning," Beard said.

"That allowed him to take care of his own game without worrying about what everyone else was doing. I think the only time he mentally 'peeked' at the scoreboard was on 18, and it led to his only bad shot of the day [a seven]."