Jordan Wolf isn't old enough to drive a car. But, boy, can she drive a golf ball.
The diminutive Westminster sophomore is not the most imposing figure on the golf course, but don't tell that to those playing in her group.
"She can drive the ball a country mile," Wildcats coach Steve Bradley said. "She's one of the smallest girls out here and probably drives it farther than anybody."
Wolf, 15, is aware of her power off the tee. She's made some adjustments along the way to enhance her swing even more.
"I've made it so my swing has good width and my hips turn, so that gives me all my power," she said.
Opponents beware -- if you think Wolf's game is all power, think again.
"On her approach shots, she hits more greens in regulation than anybody. And her chipping and putting are really good," Bradley said. "She's got a total game."
That total game will be on display at the Class 1 Sectional 1 tournament, which is scheduled for Wednesday at Innsbrook Golf Course near Wright City.
The Innsbrook event is one of eight sectional tournaments statewide -- four each in Classes 1 and 2 -- scheduled to take place today. Three of those events involve area teams. In addition to Innsbrook, area Class 2 teams will play at Aberdeen and at Bear Creek in Wentzville.
The top two teams advance to the state tournament, as do the top 12 individuals not on advancing teams. The Class 2 tournament is at Sedalia Country Club, and Class 1 will play at Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club in Bolivar. Both tournaments are scheduled for Oct. 16-17.
As a freshman last season, Wolf tied for second place in the Class 1 state tourney. This fall, she has conference and district titles in her hip pocket.
"She came up to me before the match and said 'I'm on today,'" Bradley said of the district win last Wednesday. "And she showed it out there. She was just total focus."
That focus, along with competitive fire, is what impresses Wolf's coach.
"Jordan Wolf is a gamer. She loves to play 18 holes," Bradley said. "If you put her in with the (other teams') No. 1 players, she will rise to the challenge. I don't care who it is. She is going to play to win. She just has that stuff inside that you'd like all the kids you've ever coached to have. She just wants to go out there and play hard to win, whatever it takes."
Said Wolf of playing with the top group: "I just like playing with them because otherwise it just kind of slows my game down and I can't keep up with my concentration. It just kind of throws me off."
Not much has thrown Wolf or the Wildcats this season.
Heading into sectionals, Westminster has not lost a match of any kind and would have to be considered the favorite to win the state title with an outstanding nucleus that includes, among others, Brooke Cusumano, Margaret Moore, Ciara Younger and Maggie Mauze.
Wolf hopes to use the experience she got at the 2010 state tournament as a springboard for sectionals and her second attempt at winning a state title.
"Being a freshman last year, I think the coaches were mainly looking out for me," she said. "I've improved a lot since last year, and I just hope I can keep improving."
And after what he saw out of Wolf last season, Bradley doesn't have any doubts about her game.
"As a freshman, she didn't make any freshman mistakes," he said. "She came in and played like a veteran."
