Aug 18, 2008 - 06:40:59 CDT
Last June, Bismarck High golfer Theresa Ebertz was at home watching a movie with her sister when their garage suddenly caught fire.Ebertz's golf clubs were the first thing to go up in the blaze.
A couple of months later, when Ebertz arrived in Fargo a day early to prepare for the state tournament, she injured her back in a car accident. She was hurt badly enough that she had to withdraw from the tournament.
"It was a tough year," Ebertz said.
Though it may have seemed like the golf gods were trying to send her a message in 2007, Ebertz put together a pretty solid campaign anyway, finishing with the 11th best scoring average in the West Region.
Ebertz is hoping for a better - and less eventful - 2008. She and the rest of the state's golfers get the new season underway at the Jamestown Invitational today and Tuesday.
Though the fire took place 14 months ago, Ebertz said the effects linger on.
"I've still got post-traumatic stress disorder,"Ebertz said. "It's never really gone away. My anxiety level is high, and I'm more prone to getting upset at tournaments."
The fire began in the garage, noticed first by neighbors who saw smoke pouring out the open door. Ebertz said they are still unsure what caused it, perhaps the car, which was right next to her golf bag.
Eighty percent of everything her family owned was destroyed, including many irreplaceable keepsakes. It was just three months ago that the house was repaired to the point that the Ebertzes - who had been living in a rental - were able to move back in.
Ebertz also had to cope with the effects of smoke inhalation. She estimates it took her four months until she was 100 percent physically.
Despite all that, Ebertz became one of the better golfers in the West Region.
"She was definitely our No. 1 player,"BHS coach Mike Bichler said. "She has the most potential. If anybody was going to go low, it was probably Theresa."
One of her best rounds of the season came in the West Region tournament, when Ebertz carded an 83 to take sixth place.
The car accident dimmed Ebertz's optimism heading into state. After shooting an 85 on the first day despite using only her irons, she withdrew.
"I was in too much pain,"she said. "... It was really excruciating."
Like teammates Lauren Kringstad and Kristen Goulet - who along with Courtney Kramer form the core of the BHS squad - Ebertz is a heavy hitter who is still working on her short game.
That makes Bismarck's focus clear as it tries to improve upon last year and tries to make a run at preseason West Region favorites Minot and Dickinson.
"We're not going to hit a lot of drivers at the range," Bichler said."We're going to be around the green, working on our wedges and chipping and getting our putting dialed in."
Though the tournament format can be stressful for Ebertz, she has learned coping mechanisms.
"I do, '1-2-3, don't scream.' It's been working," she said.
And thanks to the help of some friends, Ebertz said the golf course has become a safe haven.
"I have some good friends on the team, and they've been a good support for me when I'm slumping,"Ebertz said.
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