After special career at powerhouse Dublin Jerome, Groomes ready to make impact on the course for the Buckeyes
DUBLIN, Ohio (BVM) — As an individual state champion and multi-time team state champion, Tyler Groomes has had a special high school golf career at Dublin Jerome. Holding on to plenty of fond memories from the last four years, Groomes will now take his talents back to the Scarlet Course at Ohio State.
The Dublin, Ohio native has always played golf as his main sport since being introduced to it through an elementary school friend. After going to a golf camp with that friend, Groomes met a coach who still teaches him today. As he has continued on with the game, Groomes has come to enjoy the subtleties of golf, such as being able to play with his family.
“Golf has really strong values to it,” Groomes said. “It’s something I can enjoy with my parents, grandparents and other people around me that also play.”
Throughout his youth career, Groomes played in many U.S. Kids Golf tournaments, and later began playing on the GolfWeek Junior Tour. Both organizations gave the 17-year-old plenty of valuable experience as he headed into a talented program at Dublin Jerome High School.
In his freshman season of high school golf, Groomes ended up playing at the JV level. He averaged a score of 80 in 18-hole rounds, and watched the players ahead of him win a state championship.
“It was pretty cool watching those guys be at the top of team golf for the state of Ohio,” Groomes said. “They kind of flew under the radar at the end of the season, but they ended up setting a state team tournament record at the time.”
It was over that summer after his freshman season that Groomes had one of his proudest moments on the links. Playing in a tournament with a strong field at Turnberry Golf Course, Groomes would shoot two 18-hole scores of 73 and 69, earning him a one-shot victory. The win gave him plenty of confidence for his future golf career.
“That was kind of when I realized that I was able to play with some great players and learned a lot more about myself,” Groomes said.
The golfer took that mantra into his sophomore season at Dublin Jerome, where he ended up making the varsity “A” team. Groomes shaved down his scoring average, despite some difficulty adjusting to the higher level of play at the varsity level.
But through this experience, Groomes began learning more and more of what it takes to be better. He began preparing more for his rounds, often studying courses the night before he played. He also learned how much insight he could gain from his upperclassmen teammates. The result was an individual state appearance while helping the Celtics to another state title.
“Winning a state championship as a team really felt unlike anything I had ever accomplished to that point,” Groomes said. “Everybody was there around us to help celebrate and support us. It was something special.”
Groomes would end up with a top-30 individual state performance as a sophomore, and he would carry that momentum into a special junior season.
Losing two experienced seniors, Groomes took over more of a leadership role for the Celtics during the 2019 season. Taking what he learned from his former teammates, and changing his own approach to the course due to a growth spurt, Groomes helped lead Dublin Jerome to another successful season that ended in a third straight state championship.
“As a team, we kind of struggled in the regular season,” Groomes said. “But once we got to sectionals, we realized it was our time to shine and it was time to turn on the jets and go play some golf. We got to the state championship, and it was kind of something different for everybody. But it was something special to be able to win again that week.”
Part of the reason the Celtics came out on top was because of Groomes’ individual play at state. The Dublin Jerome golfer came out bogey-bogey on his first two holes of the tournament — which he would actually do to start his second round as well — but began turning up the heat on the greens.
Through the first 27 holes of the tournament, Groomes sat a few shots shy of the lead. But on his last nine, he made a charge, started by a hole-out on No. 12 for an eagle.
“I remember I hit it, it looked great, and I just saw everyone jumping up and down, screaming and saying that it went in the hole,” Groomes said about the eagle on No. 12. “From that moment on, I just had confidence that I was playing great, and if I just went out and was myself, I was going to win.”
Groomes would finish with an even-par round of 72, to pair along with the 70 he shot in round one. The two-under finish gave the golfer an impressive come-from-behind victory, something he will always cherish.
“I was fortunate enough to keep it rolling and I was able to win,” Groomes added. “It was something I will never forget. It was great and just so special.”
The 17-year-old’s offseason was not greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he and his Celtics teammates did fear prior to the season and even during it that their campaign could get postponed or canceled.
Fortunately, the season would be played as scheduled, and Dublin Jerome brought back an experienced squad hungry for another title. After a solid regular season where Groomes would win one event, the Celtics took home a team victory in sectionals. A struggle in districts would lead the Celtics to only qualify for state by one shot, but they were back with an opportunity for a four-peat.
However, state this year at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course was much different than in past years. With limited fans in attendance, the atmosphere was not the same, lacking energy and excitement.
“Not everybody was there,” Groomes said. “It was a lot different than it had been the previous years. When you’re playing at the highest level of golf you can as a high school player, you want to have all your family and friends there. It was strange not to and a different kind of tournament.”
Unfortunately, Dublin Jerome would not find the same magic they had in past years, finishing fourth in the team portion of the state tournament.
Groomes would fall short of an individual repeat at state, too. After coming out with a 77 on day one, the senior shot 41 on the front nine of day two. However, he would end his prep career on a high note, shooting a back-nine 32, and finishing in a tie for fifth.
“I played great on the back,” Groomes said. “It wasn’t what I wanted this year and it was kind of a disappointing way to end but it was good we were able to finish and it was great memories for all our kids.”
Despite the disappointing end to the season, one silver lining was the individual accolades Groomes received, as he was named first team All-Ohio and the Ohio Capital Conference Player of the Year.
“It was definitely a good honor,” Groomes said about being named conference player of the year. “I’m proud of that because that is something you have to work hard for. Being first team All-Ohio is something special as well and it just kind of validates to me that I was a great high school player and did anything I could for my team.”
Groomes will hope to do all he can for his team again as he moves to the collegiate level next fall, and he will stay very close to home to do so. Ohio State first began showing interest in Groomes as a freshman, and he reached out to the Buckeyes via email to show his intrigue as well. Despite interest from other state schools such as Kent State, Wright State and Dayton, once the Buckeyes offered, it was a no-brainer.
“I always wanted to play at Ohio State,” Groomes said. “Dublin is right outside of Columbus so I’ve always been a Buckeye guy. My mom went to Ohio State, my grandpa went to Ohio State, so that’s what I wanted to do. Everything combined made it hard to consider anything else.”
Groomes hopes to become the best player he can at Ohio State, while also turning into a team leader. He feels prepared to stack up with the competition from some of the events he has played recently including the Hudson Junior Invitational and the Crooked Stick Invitational. Familiarity with his new home course and teammates will also help him succeed.
The Buckeyes’ home course is the Scarlet Course, which Groomes has plenty of experience on from his time playing in OHSAA state golf tournaments over the last few years.
He will also reunite with former teammate, friend and 2018 OHSAA state champion Jackson Chandler. Chandler has played very well at Ohio State so far, and Groomes has always idolized the way he plays and carries himself on the course.
“My biggest role model in high school golf was Jackson Chandler,” Groomes said. “Everything you could ask for in an upperclassmen teammate, he was. He was a great leader, a great guy and always super encouraging. He was the best, but he was never going to tell you that. Jackson has been one of my good friends since we started high school golf and I think I can learn a lot from him to become a better golfer.”
Past his time as a Buckeye, Groomes has always strived to play golf professionally.
“Professional golf has always been a dream for me,” Groomes said. “We live on the 17th hole of Muirfield Village, so I’ve had professional golf in my backyard one week out of each year. Obviously it’s very difficult, and I know it will take everything I got.”
No matter where his future on the links takes him, the team Groomes played for the last four years at Dublin Jerome was a special one, and he is thankful to have been a part of the program.
“Jerome has always been a special place with great golf teams,” Groomes said. “They develop great players too. I hope I can leave a legacy that even if you’re not the greatest player coming in, if you work hard, you can be a great player and accomplish great things. The values of hard work can never be understated, and if I left that behind, I feel like I made a positive impact to help continue the Jerome dynasty.”
