Heading Home: Podobinski Leads RedHawks Into Columbus

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Whenever the Miami University golf team tees off in Columbus, Ohio, it feels like a homecoming for junior Brett Podobinski.

Podobinski is a native of Dublin, Ohio (a northwest suburb of Ohio's capital city), went to Dublin Jerome High School, and grew up playing at The Country Club at Muirfield Village in Dublin before joining the RedHawks.

And if that's not enough of a full-circle storyline as the RedHawks prep for this weekend's trip to Ohio State, Podobinski only has to look across the course at his head coach, who will be feeling quite at home himself.

That's because JD Fletcher is also a native of Dublin, Ohio, went to Dublin Jerome High School, and grew up playing at The Country Club at Muirfield Village in Dublin before joining the RedHawks.

Talk about a small world. Podobinski and Fletcher

"Podo was a little rugrat on the Grizzell Middle School golf team, he was always at the facility, and I've known him forever," Fletcher laughed. "He would always be doing putting contests on the little putting green, chipping, putting and playing with everyone at the club.

"The great thing about our club is that there were good players everywhere, and plenty of Division I talent. Playing with guys that are better than you is always a good way to get better, expose your game and expose yourself to better competition…

"There was a huge Miami pipeline there too as well. Definitely a great place to grow up and learn how to play."

(Just how strong is the Miami-Dublin connection? With Jack Herceg '22 bridging Fletcher '19 and Podobinski's time playing for the Red and White, there has been at least one Jerome HS product on the RedHawks' roster each season for the past 10 years.)

Podobinski initially got his start in the sport around the age of eight, going to the course regularly with his father and brother. Even as a grade-schooler, he found himself playing golf every day in the summer and quickly 'fell in love with it there.'

"When [Coach] was still in high school and I was in elementary school, I remember seeing him practicing and we would talk," Podobinski recalled. "With a bunch of college players at the course as well, the [older guys] would talk to the younger guys and give them some advice. I got to know him through that, which was awesome."

Brett Podobinski

Even a decade later, Podobinski is still hearing similar advice and learning the same lessons from Fletcher.

"Keep practicing, make deliberate practice plans and attack every day with a purpose," Podobinski smiled. "Probably a pretty consistent message from the last 10 years: Keep playing, and have fun."

Fletcher took over as Miami's golf coach in the fall of 2021. One of his first recruiting phone calls after getting the job was to Podobinski, who was then just beginning his senior year of high school.

"JD got the job and I committed like two weeks later," Podobinski said. "I was obviously super familiar with the university and thought it was a really good option for me. I had played a couple junior events at Hueston Woods, including my first under-par tournament round when I was 13. And then my older brother actually went to Miami as well."

"He was one of the first offers I had out, and he committed within –well—I don't even know if I could finish my sentence!," Fletcher said. "With our families' connections, the prior relationship we had there at the club, both being from Dublin, Jerome being a powerhouse golf team…the pipeline just made too much sense.

"Another connection is we both had the same swing coach growing up, Brad Sparling…his son Jack ended up playing at Miami when I played here. The whole thing just went completely full circle. Both Podo and myself owe Brad Sparling a ton, because he's the one that ultimately got us there for sure."

Miami's newest Dublin product has excelled during his time with the Red and White, with Podobinski capturing a handful of MAC Golfer of the Week honors, earning Second-Team All-MAC recognition as a sophomore, and winning the Ross Collegiate Classic in March 2024. Podobinski at Ross Collegiate Classic

The most recent highlight of Podobinski's stellar college career to date? A hole-in-one on a 197-yard par-3 at No. 11 during this Monday's second round at the Calusa Cup in Naples, Fla. The eagle ace was the first hole-in-one in recent memory for a Miami golfer and helped Podobinski tie for 16th place overall in a field featuring seven top-50 programs.

"That's a super-special moment in his college golf career: One he will definitely never forget," Fletcher said. "It was really, really cool. Speechless."

But more than any particular score, finish, or trophy, Podobinski's biggest impact since arriving in Oxford has been helping change the trajectory of the RedHawks' program. After placing fifth at the Mid-American Conference Championships in each of Fletcher's first two seasons at the helm, Miami improved to finish as team runner-up last spring and has high hopes for claiming a title in 2025.

"Our junior class has literally gotten this program from 175th-ranked team [nationally] to a top-100 team within their short two-and-a-half years," Fletcher said. "Every golf program is really good nowadays, and it's been extremely difficult on them to flip the script of the program and get us back to where we want to be – where we are currently.

*(from L): Weber, Podobinski and Pero before their sophomore spring season*

"Those guys —Podo, Michael Weber, and Cameron Pero— have had tons of success here academically and athletically. I'm just really proud of all 11 guys on our team for what they've accomplished."

Podobinski credits the team camaraderie of everyday life for how successful the RedHawks have been inside the ropes. Even something as simple as watching basketball on television at the house he shares with Pero, Weber, Sam Mortell and Sam West is something thoroughly enjoyable that Podobinski doesn't take for granted.

"It's a really special bond," he said. "We all motivate each other on the golf course too…I was lucky growing up with all my friends on the course, so finding people that you like to play with and have as much fun as you can out there [is key]."

Now, as the season enters its home stretch, Podobinski heads – where else? – back home. The RedHawks travel to Ohio State this weekend before visiting Purdue in the final tournament of the regular season.

"Obviously playing in your backyard in Columbus, he's familiar with the venues. That's always good," Fletcher said. "And we'll probably get a homecooked meal at his parents' house one night with the team. That will be great as well!

"It's always good to have a familiar area, familiar city, and all that good stuff. I'm really excited to see what Podo does this next little stretch we have in April."

That includes the upcoming MAC Championships April 27-29, where Miami will chase its first conference crown since 2015 (and the trip to the NCAA Tournament that goes with it). Brett Podobinski

"We've worked so hard for it," said Podobinski. "We haven't won it in 10 years; it's definitely something that we know we have to do with how much time we've put in.

"We just know it will add up, and we're going to be really confident come game time."

And where will that all-important MAC tournament be held?

Pinnacle Golf Club. Grove City, Ohio.

A suburb of…yep, you guessed it…

Columbus.

A small world, indeed.

Find more Front Row Features at: MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures.

Brett Podobinski and the RedHawks are back in action this weekend (April 11-12) at the Buckeye Classic in Columbus, Ohio. Live scoring for each event Miami participates in, including the upcoming MAC Championships, is available on the schedule page at MiamiRedHawks.com.

Heading Home: Podobinski Leads RedHawks Into Columbus

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