PERRYSBURG — Perrysburg golfer Sydney Deal shot a school record — and course record — 62 at Thunderbird South Golf Course during the Yellow Jackets’ third tournament of the year, the Edison Invitational.

This tops her school record setting performance from last season when she fired a 66 at White Pines, which is Perrysburg’s home course.

Perrysburg golf coach Rick Rettig said Deal’s game was good last year but shooting 11-under-par on the par 73, 18-hole golf course was the icing on the cake.

Deal said that she believes her drives are the best part of her game.

“I’ve been hitting pretty far lately and I’m still improving on my short game,” Deal said. “My chipping and putting can always be better.”

Rettig said it looks like her short game is where it needs to be, too.

“She is one of the best putters I’ve ever seen. Her short game is magnificent. She’s got a new driver and changed her swing just a little bit, and her driving distance has increased dramatically in the past year,” Rettig said.

“But it’s the old story of golf, that where you spend most of your strokes are near and around the green and she is just so efficient there,” he continued. “She can get a little long and a little bit in trouble, but her short game is so good it makes up for it consistently.

“Her approach shots have gotten so much better. She was giving herself birdie opportunities as compared to having two-putt pars. A lot of one-putts because she was that much closer.”

Deal’s older brother, Mason, is now playing NCAA Division I golf at the University of Toledo. Rettig said Sydney will get her shot at collegiate golf, too.

Sydney, a junior, won Ohio Junior Golf Association state championship this summer, but she said that she is a long way from committing to where she might play collegiately.

“I was talking to her down at state about it and I said, ‘How many people approach you,’ and she said, ‘All the time,’” Rettig said. “I said, ‘You notice I haven’t done that.’ And she said, ‘Yes.’

“And I think she was a little thankful for it because we both recognize those things will happen, but there is nothing she can do about it right now. Just go about the business continuing to get better.”

Rettig is of a firm belief that as Sydney continues to improve, even her school record 62 has a target on it.

“It is just a real pleasure to coach Sydney and cheer for Mason, even though he’s going to that school up north. As a Bowling Green grad, I told him that I would cheer for him, but I wouldn’t tell anybody,” Rettig said.

“She and Mason (were) obviously one of the top academic students in their class. They are both over 4.0 and just bright kids and nice young people that anyone would want to be around,” he said. “They are both fantastic people and I would say as good as athletes as they are, they are better people.

“They are fantastic. It’s a real pleasure being around both, and I’m just very fortunate that I get to hang around Sydney for the next two years,” Rettig continued.

Behind Deal’s 62, Perrysburg brought home hardware from the Edison Invitational with a runner-up finish and a score of 340 at Thunderbird South.

Also scoring for the Jackets were Ariyah Ellis (85), Olivia Eisaman (95) and Paige Feldkamp (98).

The Yellow Jackets have completed the first two weeks of the season by competing in four invitationals and one tri-match against Van Buren and Lima Shawnee.

Perrysburg started off the season with a third-place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational out of nine teams with a 351, one stroke back from host Notre Dame.

Deal led the way with a 71 and was runner-up medalist. Also scoring for Perrysburg were Feldkamp (91), Ellis (93) and Sophia Strzesynski (96).

Next, the Jackets picked up a runner-up finish at the Yellow Jacket Open with a 331-team score.

Deal led the way with a one under par 71 and finished in a tie for second. Feldkamp (84), Ellis (85), and Eisaman (91) all scored for the Jackets.

In the final match of the four-invitational swing, the Jackets were crowned team champion of the Findlay Invitational at Sycamore Springs with a score of 344.

Deal led the way as medalist with a 69, followed by Feldkamp (90), Ellis (91), and Eisaman (94).

Finally, the Jackets traveled to Fostoria Country Club for a tri-match against Van Buren and Lima Shawnee and came back home with two wins shooting a 163 to Van Buren’s 175 and Shawnee’s 222.

Deal fired a 35 while Ellis (40), Feldkamp (44) and Eisaman (44) also scored for Perrysburg.