A year ago and the match would have been over for Justin Newbauer just after the start. But a year of maturity, of learning how to control his emotions on the golf course, gave the South Side Beaver senior the experience he needed to be able to cope with a rough start.

Newbauer bogeyed the first hole of the WPIAL championships last Tuesday. Last season, starting with a bad hole might have been enough to throw him off for the rest of the round.

"As a coach, one of the things you often see in kids is that they mature a lot between 11th and 12th grade," South Side Beaver coach Don Heinlein said. "It's a natural process with most of them, I think. I've been working with Justin for the [past] six or seven years and he has always had the ability to play the game.

"The difference for him this year is that he is more mature. He used to get really angry with himself if he had a bad hole or two. Now, if he has a bad hole it doesn't bother him. He kind of shakes it off and just plays."

Newbauer played well enough last week at Diamond Run to shoot an even-par 72, good enough to tie for second place in the WPIAL championships. That finish earned him a berth in yesterday's Western Regional tournament at Tom's Run. The top 22 finishers in the Western Region qualify for the PIAA championships.

Newbauer made it to the WPIAL finals in his junior and sophomore years, but never played well enough in the championships to advance to the regional qualifier. This year, he said, things were different based largely on his new mental approach.

"Last year, if I had two bad holes in a row, I was pretty much done," Newbauer said. "This year, if I hit a bad shot, I just try not to let it bother me. I keep my head in the game a lot better. I don't get angry with myself anymore. I learned that if I triple [bogey] one of the first three holes or something like that, I have 15 more holes to get it back."

Newbauer said he cannot put a finger on any particular time when that lesson sunk in. He says it just seemed to come naturally, that he learned as he played more often than not every shot was going to be perfect and that he needed to remain in command of his emotions.

"I've just got to keep it under control," he said. "I just can't get too angry with myself on things like that. I just really like to compete. Sometimes I let it get the better of me."

He tried to get the better of the rest of the field yesterday. Newbauer entered this season confident that he could make it to the PIAA championships because he felt his game was coming along as he continued to hone his skills.

Most of that work paid off in the WPIAL championships.

"There were a few shots that I would like to take back," he said. "But overall I think I played pretty well. I kept the ball in play and hit a lot of greens. I had a lot of two-putts and even a couple one-putts,"

Putting, he said, has made a big difference in recent months. He has developed more consistency on the greens and while he had a handful of three-putt greens in the WPIAL championships, he was sharp enough with the putter to keep himself near the top of the leader board.

"I just wanted to go out and post a good score and see what happened," he said. "I was pretty happy with a 72."

Heinlein also was pleased. He said Newbauer's strengths include his distance off the tee and an ability to use his irons effectively if he happens to find himself in trouble.

"He has very good length," Heinlein said. "He's an excellent driver. He just has an overall solid game. There are times when he does not putt as well as other times, but I think that's true with most young players. He wants to be more consistent with the putter and if he keeps working at it, I think he will be."

Newbauer has attracted some interest from NCAA Division I schools including Purdue, Penn State and Elon (N.C.) University. He has not yet decided where he will go to, but is hoping that he can open some eyes among college scouts with a strong finish to his high school season.

"I definitely went into WPIALs thinking I could qualify for states," he said. "I've been thinking about making it to states all year. Hopefully I can focus and make a couple of birdies and get in there.

"If I play well [at Tom's Run], I think I can make the top 22. I have to stay focused and not let it bother me if I hit a bad shot.

"I haven't really been thinking about college too much, but [playing golf in college] is something I'd like to do. We'll see where things stand after [the high school season ends]."

Newbauer knows he will need two things if he intends to play college golf -- patience and consistency.

"I'd have to practice a lot more to be a good player at the Division I or Division II level," he said. "You've got to be consistent and keep your head in the game. That's what I'm trying to do now. Keep working hard, stay consistent and keep hitting balls and hopefully I'll get better."