SCOTTSDALE - When it comes to playing top-notch high school golf, Ryan Mercier is a late bloomer.

The Desert Mountain junior, who never cracked the team's top-six lineup as a freshman, jumped to No. 4 as a sophomore, and is currently No. 2 and less than a stroke behind nationally ranked teammate Tim McKenney in scoring average.

Desert Mountain coach Jeannie Critchfield has been wowed by Mercier's progress.

"I was very surprised to see him evolve so quickly," said Critchfield, a 10-year coaching veteran at Desert Mountain. "Usually, that doesn't happen until the junior year unless you're really an outstanding freshman coming in.

"Ryan came in as a good golfer but evolved very quickly within one year."

Mercier averaged 43 for nine holes that first year for Desert Mountain and sensed that just wasn't going to cut it. So, after that season, he committed to improvement and enlisted help from swing coach Jeff Ritter and psychological coach Chris Dorris.

Both coaches have made an impact.

Mercier, all 130 pounds of him, now drives the ball 275 yards and doesn't get fazed by occasional errant shots that lead to fat numbers on his scorecard.

"He doesn't blow up," Critchfield said. "You never see him with any kind of a temper range. It's always the same. He's very low key and he works at that, too. He knows that you can't get upset on the golf course and expect to score."

Mercier sliced nearly six strokes off his game as a sophomore. So far, his average this year - which includes qualifying rounds at the Sanctuary Golf Course in Scottsdale, high school matches and tournaments - is just a shade under 36.

Desert Mountain placed second at last year's Class 5A state tournament, and Mercier finished eighth in the individual competition.

McKenney, who is No. 10 in the Golfweek/Titleist Junior Rankings and Desert Mountain's No. 1 player, placed sixth at state last year.

The teammates, and good friends, have developed a productive rivalry.

"Having Timmy on the team really gives me something to strive for," Mercier said. "You know, I want to be where he's at. I've just tried to bring my game to his level, or somewhere close, and it's gotten me to where I am now."

McKenney said he enjoys being pushed by Mercier and all of his teammates, and that he respects Mercier's work ethic.

"He's very hard-working," McKenney said. "He's out here night and day hitting balls and putts. He obviously didn't like the position he had on the golf team and tried to do something about it."

Mercier, a left-hander who idolizes fellow lefty Phil Mickelson, first started playing golf when he was 3.

His father, a custom clubmaker, encouraged him to do so, and he instantly fell in love with the game. In fact, he later gave up another love - baseball - after middle school to dedicate himself to golf.

Mercier's long-term goal is to qualify for the PGA Tour.

Before that, he's hoping to play in college, ideally at Arizona State University or the University of Arizona.