Motivational speaker and self-proclaimed "Life Coach" Tony Robbins (of infomercial fame) has said he welcomes life's difficult times, because enduring those times often leads to a positive breakthrough.

Safe to say, Austin Wolf can relate.

In fact, considering the emotional rollercoaster he's endured on the golf course this postseason, it appears the timing couldn't be better for the Manheim Township junior as he enters today's first round of the PIAA golf championships, which begins at 8:30 a.m. at Heritage Hills in York.

Lancaster Mennonite juniors Matt Burkhart and David Denlinger are Lancaster County's other entrants in the 58-player boys' field for the two-day event, which concludes with Tuesday's final round back at Heritage Hills.

"I'm pretty confident because I've been playing well my last couple of tournaments," said Wolf, who will tee off on No. 1 at 10 a.m. today. "And I'm just going in with the same goal as any other tournament: trying to win it. I'm hitting the ball just about as good as I have been (all year). It's just a matter of making putts, of making as many birdies as you can."

While avoiding the pitfalls that have occasionally surfaced for Wolf this fall.

That trend started at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships Oct. 1, when Wolf held a two-shot lead with three holes to play, only to catch a bad break that led to a triple bogey at the 17th and eventually left him tied for second.

Wolf made amends Oct. 12-13, posting rounds of 72-73 at Briarwood in York to win his first District Three individual title by a shot, only to run into another speed bump at the PIAA East Regional (the qualifier for states) Oct. 15.

Holding the lead at 3-under-par through 12 holes at Golden Oaks in Fleetwood, Wolf played the last six holes in 6-over, thanks in part to a double bogey on No. 16 and a triple on No. 17, to finish tied for 14th.

So, considering the up-and-down chronology of recent events, Wolf would be due to bounce back with another solid performance this week, right?

"It's a good time for it to fit the pattern," Wolf acknowledged with a chuckle. "But I'm really not trying to think about that too much. I made a pretty big breakthrough at districts, finishing strong to win it. At regionals ... it's a one-day tournament, it's more of a qualifier, so I don't know if my mentality was totally the same. I'm just trying to recognize the fact that I was 3-under at one point (at regionals) and that my game is in pretty good shape right now."

As is Denlinger's. After finishing tied for second with Wolf at the L-L meet, and solo fifth at districts, Denlinger posted 1-under 71 at regionals to move into a tie for the lead before losing a playoff on the first extra hole. Denlinger finished tied for 19th at last year's PIAA tournament.

Burkhart, who is coming off a tied-for-third showing at districts and a tie for eighth at regionals, finished tied for 16th last year at states.

E-mail: jfulginiti@lnpnews.com