A multi-event winner in his prep debut last fall, Herzog shot 3-under in a three-way tie for third at state in his freshman debut. He responded this fall with two regular-season victories, five top-five finishes in state-qualifier events, and the lowest stroke average (68.3) in Region 5.

Only one 5A golfer, Olympus senior Will Pedersen (67.5), is shooting better than Herzog heading into the first round of state. Broc Ballif, also moving over from Fremont to become the Longhorns’ first head coach in 2024, locked onto Herzog’s demeanor and play style during his freshman season.

“We got really lucky with Mack,” Ballif said. “He just thinks of the game in a different way and (watching) how he plays, we can almost teach kids to play like him. … I think it helped how good he was, and I think everyone already looked up to him from a golf standpoint last year, and that gave him a lot of confidence to relax and not be intimidated.”

Herzog is the son of Tyler Herzog, a former golfer at Weber State, as well as a present-day Spanish teacher at Ogden High. Despite a deep background in the game, the younger Herzog has gleaned some valuable lessons from Ballif and finds himself in a better headspace on the course.

Photo supplied, Broc Ballif/West Field High School

“Broc’s been really good,” Mack Herzog said. “Last year, just as a freshman, he did a really good job getting our scores settled, and then this year he’s just been even better. I think he’s helped me as a golfer, staying focused on every shot (and) to know if I have a bad hole or a bad shot, it’s fine; just brush it off.”

At Fremont, Ballif helped kick things into gear, golf-wise. Led by freshman Luke Manning, the Silverwolves won their fourth region title in five years with last week’s first-place team finish during an abbreviated region championship due to inclement weather in West Bountiful.

Herzog, tying for fifth in the season-end round with 71, and junior Ethan Luna, shooting 70 for a share of the runner-up title with Box Elder’s Kanyon DeRyke, carded top-10 scores on Monday before the final round of region play was canceled.

Herzog and Luna will lead West Field’s state card at No. 1 and No. 2, followed by freshman Daxton Seager, junior Rock Hansen and junior Lincoln Miller.

“Mack and Ethan are two of the top golfers in the state,” Ballif said. “Having them play against those two every day in practice, and sometimes beating them, I think that’s giving our 3, 4 and 5 guys a little bit more confidence.”

A summer deeper and realigned to 5A, West Field travels roughly two hours Monday to a TalonsCove course that Herzog can confidently describe.

“It’s a little linksy, there’s not a lot of trees,” Herzog said. “There are a lot of hills with fescue, but it’s pretty good. … There are a lot of places you can get into trouble. There’s also hills on the side of the fairways with a lot of fescue. If you hit it in there, there’s a chance you (couldn’t) find it.”

The past couple of summers have seen Herzog on the PGA’s Junior League circuit with a Utah-based team, which includes a good friend, and another young standout, in Morgan’s Jace Benson. Benson is fresh off notching his first-ever region title last week.

Such competition affords unique opportunities, including those that conflict with a high school golf schedule.

This fall, Herzog maneuvered his school schedule and high school golf to accommodate competitive tournaments, including one with the University of Utah.

“I did miss a lot of school, and I already do miss a lot of school outside of high school golf with a bunch of different tournaments and stuff,” Herzog said. “I know a lot of kids outside of golf, but I have some buddies that I’ll easily go play with for fun.”

Colleges are going to tune in as Herzog’s career grows, but it’s how one of West Field’s first rising golf stars has handled that success, and committed himself to his high school program, that has Ballif especially excited about his trajectory post-state.

“That’s what I worried about a little bit as he continues to get better and better, and starts getting recruited by these big schools,” Ballif said. “That’s been really refreshing, and that’s been kind of a surprise that he hasn’t changed or been too above that the whole time.”

REGION 5 SEASON STROKE LEADERS

1. Mack Herzog, West Field, 68.3

2. Kanyon DeRyke, Box Elder, 68.6

3. Luke Manning, Fremont, 68.7

4. Ethan Luna, West Field, 69.6

5. Gavin Tesch, Fremont, 69.6

6. Luke Hadley, Fremont, 70.3

7. Hutt Hadley, Fremont, 70.9

8. Josh Wallis, Bonneville, 71.0

9. Jesse Jones, Roy, 71.1

10. Trevor Labrum, Box Elder, 73.1

Connect with reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.