Boys’ Golf Peak Performer of the Year: Luke Trujillo, Discovery Canyon
Luke Trujillo had a dream finish to his golf season.
The Discovery Canyon junior won the state title on the second playoff hole of the 4A state tournament, and in the process, helped the Thunder win the team championship.
Now, he’s added a third accolade to his 2016 résumé – The Gazette Boys’ Golf Peak Performer of the Year.
“It doesn’t get any better than this – not even close,” Trujillo said of his trio of accomplishments. “It’s incredible to hear your name in the same sentence as player of the year. We have some great golfers in the Springs, so to be compared to them, and selected as the best player, is a remarkable experience.”
Trujillo earned every bit of success he experienced throughout the season. He persevered through not winning the league title and tying for second at regionals.
Undeterred, Trujillo not only won the state title in a playoff, but he beat Silver Creek’s Jackson Solem, the defending state champion. Trujillo handled the win with a great amount of class.
“When Jackson missed his putt, and I saw how upset he was, I knew that I would’ve been just as upset if I was in his shoes,” Trujillo said. “I told him that if I could share the title with him, I would do it in a heartbeat. I know how bad he wanted it, and he deserved it just as much as I did.”
Mark Liggett, who’s been the Discovery Canyon golf coach for four years, has seen Trujillo develop over the past three years, and said the junior’s talents have blossomed and combined with steadiness to make him a dominant player.
“When it came to state – wow – he was hitting the ball just how he wanted to, and showed how great he could be with a 67 on the first day,” Liggett said. “He faced some adversity when he double bogeyed 17 and bogeyed 18, but he came back strong the next day and beat a talented player for the state title.”
Trujillo has garnered some attention from colleges, and has begun the process of meeting with coaches to discuss his future after his senior season at Discovery Canyon in 2017.
He loves playing with his teammates and looks forward to doing so again next season, as the Thunder try to defend the title.
“I’ve played other sports, like soccer and baseball, but no team can compare to how much I loved playing on this team,” Trujillo said. “The night after the first round, when I had a bad finish, they were all there for me and gave me confidence going into the next day. Every practice we improved and had so much fun, and we wanted each other to get better.”
Liggett says Trujillo has grown a lot – physically and mentally – in the past year. In addition to adding more distance on his shots, Liggett has seen improvement in maturity, and said Trujillo can get even better.
“Luke is fun to coach, because he knows how to hit every shot,” Liggett said. “He can be even more consistent as a senior next year, but there aren’t many places where he needs to improve.”
Discovery Canyon golfer Luke Trujillo is pictured at The Club at Flying Horse on Friday, September 30, 2016. Trujillo is the golf Peak Performer of the Year. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette
Discovery Canyon golfer Luke Trujillo is pictured at The Club at Flying Horse on Friday, September 30, 2016. Trujillo is the golf Peak Performer of the Year. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette
Discovery Canyon golfer Luke Trujillo is pictured at The Club at Flying Horse on Friday, September 30, 2016. Trujillo is the golf Peak Performer of the Year. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette