Laurence Manning's Robertson swings his way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

Laurence Manning's Robbie Robertson has been the picture of consistency for the Swampcat golf team this spring. Regardless of the competition, he's been consistently near the top of the pack. That consistency helped him take down a stacked field and win the Blazer Open on the first day of April, and he hasn't slowed down.

Last week, he turned in two more excellent rounds, shooting even par in a match against East Clarendon before shooting one under against Florence Christian and Carolina Academy. That consistency helped Robertson earn recognition as the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"The main thing is staying consistent with practices, not going two days without hitting golf balls in a row and making sure I can stay mentally

focused," Robertson said of his key to staying consistent. "I spend most of my time, when I can, at the course. It's about knowing that bad days are going to happen, so to be able to stay consistent after that and not let a bad round or something ruin the good spring I've had going. Last year was good, too, but this year, I've been more consistent.

"I thank God, my team, my coach and my family for all they do for me and help me to continue to get better and better."

Laurence Manning head golf coach and athletic director Morgan Watt has been impressed by the way that Robertson has stayed within himself to turn in strong round after strong round.

"He's done a really good job of working hard. He's always a warrior - always practicing, always trying to get better," Watt said. "He shot under par in an all-star tournament this summer, and I think that really spurred him on to realize that he's a good golfer and he can play really well.

"He's just consistent. His game is hitting the fairway and hitting the green, and when he gets his putter hot, that's when he's really special. With most golfers, that comes and goes, but he's normally a very good putter."

April 1 was Robertson's biggest highlight of the spring, winning the Blazer Open against a strong lineup of competitors. A tough finish nearly cost him the tournament title, but he was able to hold off a comeback attempt because he built a three-stroke lead with an excellent start. That tournament, which was held at Old Hickory on Fort Jackson, was a huge mid-season confidence booster for the junior.

"Going into that tournament, I was hitting it well; I knew I could compete there. I've played that course a lot, so I know the course. I knew that if I do what I knew I could do, I can compete," Robertson said of shooting 72 on his way to a tournament victory. "I had a three-stroke lead going into the last three holes and almost choked it, but being able to turn in a good round for the first 16 holes helped me have a cushion going into the last couple of holes to be able to secure the win.

"I've always been able to compete in tournaments. It's more of just the mental thing. I know I have the swing, I know I have the scoring ability; it's just about keeping the swing and not losing myself in rounds."

Robertson kept the good times rolling last week on two courses he's not quite as familiar with. He started by shooting even par at Lake City Country Club against the Wolverines from East Clarendon before heading to the Country Club of South Carolina to face Florence Christian and Carolina Academy, shooting -1. He was happy to keep momentum on his side as Laurence Manning prepared for the home stretch, which was focused around the region tournament on Thursday and the SCISA state tournament, which begins on Monday.

"It helped to be able to know that I could go to two courses that I really don't play outside of once per year for school and still be able to put in good rounds," Robertson said. "I was able to continue to hit the ball well and putt well, so that helped a lot."

Robertson turned in a busy week this past week. He played the Anderson Brothers Bank Tournament on Monday and Tuesday before the region tournament on Thursday. It was a somewhat up-and-down week for Robertson, as he got a 77 on the first day of the ABB Tournament before shaving a few strokes off on Day 2. On Thursday, the driver got away from him a bit, as he finished with a 76. An eagle helped him keep the score down a bit, but Robertson still took some time immediately after his round to head to the driving range to work out some kinks with his driver before state next week.

"Today was a long day," Robertson admitted. "I started out pretty slow, threw in an eagle but couldn't quite get things figured out and shot a four-over 76. I hit the ball really bad today; I hit the ball like I should've shot 80-something. It was about being able to put 100% into every shot, like after a bad shot and being able to look at a chip to be able to go up and down to not lose myself after shooting a bad iron shot or a bad tee shot. Being able to find the best way to stay focused after a bad shot has helped me a lot with my game."

Robertson said that round, while not ideal, still helps him as he prepares to compete in state. He felt like he was able to correct some of his mistakes on the range, which pairs nicely with the way he was able to recover from a few missed shots in the round.

"I know going into this weekend, I'm really going to figure out the tee shot. I already went on the range after I finished today, and I feel like I figured it out more," Robertson said. "Just continuing to work hard and not lose myself after this round or get tired.

"It's just about going into the state tournament knowing I can do it. Last year I had a round first day and came back the second day, so just it's knowing that I can always come back after this one. I know if I can keep my short game and my irons the way they are right now as I go into state, and I can hit better tee shots, I can definitely compete in that tournament and throw in low scores to win it, maybe, or put myself top five, at least."