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Sports

Rams' Golfer Wields Two Big Sticks

Varsity hockey player in winter, outstanding golfer in spring and summer.

Brian Tohir traded in his hockey sticks for his golf sticks in the spring, after competing for New Canaan High School in hockey in the winter. 

Tohir played on the International Junior Golf Tour this past spring in the 13-15 Division and won tournaments in Lopatcong, N.J., and in Bloomfield, CT. He capped off his summer golf season by playing with Connecticut's New England Junior team at the New England Championship held on Aug. 18-19 in Wells, ME. At age 15, he was the youngest player named to the six-man squad.

Tohir finished tied for ninth. The Connecticut team finished second, five strokes behind  New Hampshire. The teams played 54 holes; 36 holes on Tuesday and 18 holes on Wednesday. Tohir had scores of 83, 77 and 74.

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"The course was very difficult," he said, and with the enervating heat and wind, "it took a lot out of you." He attributed his high scores to the tough conditions. Still, Tohir thought he putted well over the two days and hit the fairways consistently, which he says was the key. "I had a pretty solid week and hope to be on the winning team next year."

Tohir follows in the footsteps of Tyler Zara, NCHS class of 2005, who captained the hockey team and was also an outstanding member of the golf team. Tohir, like Zara, is an excellent student and hopes to take his game up to the college level at a school that offers good academics and a good golf program.

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Tohir's coach at NCHS, Bill Brown, said, "Brian has the whole package; he's strong in all phases of the game." He said "Brian will probably replace recently graduated Curtis Loop as #1 on next year's varsity."

Tohir made All-FCIAC and All-State in his freshman year.

His father, David, played college hockey at MIT and introduced his son to both sports at an early age.

"I started playing golf when I was seven and that's my first passion," said the younger Tohir. He says he loved the sport from day one.

Last year was his first on the varsity hockey team and he got more and more playing time on defense as the season progressed. He's expected to get even more ice time in the upcoming season.

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