Gavin Dugas’ first semester with the Husson University golf team could not have gone much better. The Maine Central Institute graduate and Husson sophomore placed 16th in a field of 215 golfers at the NCAA Division III Championship last week in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida.
Dugas, who played last season at Southern New Hampshire University, shot a four-round 296, finishing nine strokes behind the leaders — Josh Gibson of Hope College and Garrett Brickley of Wittenberg University. Dugas recorded the highest finish for a player from a New England school.
Dugas said he hit his irons better during the tournament, and he putted well.
“I’d been struggling hitting the ball straight with my irons. I’d been hitting left, which is not uncommon for me,” Dugas said. “I think my putter saved me a few times.”
The tournament was played on two courses. Dugas opened play shooting a 72 on day one at the Las Colinas Course. He shot a four-over 76 on the El Campeón Course on day two. Dugas shot a 73 on day three and 75 on day four, both also played on El Campeón. On day three, Dugas was one-under par going to hole 17, but a triple bogey set back his round.
The 2014 Class B state champion at MCI, Dugas said his best hole of the tournament was 15 on El Campeón. A 135-yard par 3, Dugas put his tee shot within one foot of the pin on day three. On the final day, he followed that success on hole 15 by placing his tee shot within two feet of the hole.
At Husson, Dugas plays for his father, Mike Dugas, the pro at JW Parks Golf Course in Pittsfield and Husson’s golf coach.
“I like it so far,” Dugas said about playing for his father. “He knows (my swing) so well, and it keeps me motivated.”
Dugas said he plans on playing a few tournaments over the summer, most notably the Downeast Metro Amateur tournament, a two-day event played at Bar Harbor’s Kebo Valley and Bangor Municipal Golf Course; and the Maine Amateur, which will be played at Brunswick Golf Club July 11-13. Dugas tied for fifth place in last year’s Maine Am at York Golf and Tennis Club.
Dugas’ finish at the national championship was the highest individual finish for a Husson golfer since Joe Alvarez tied for 12th place at the 2002 NAIA national championship.
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The Maine State Golf Association recently announced the winners of this year’s scholarships from the MSGA Scholarship Fund. Thirteen winners from around the state each will be awarded $6,000 over four years to pursue higher education.
This year’s winners are: Seth Clark (Seal Cove), Eric Dugas (Pittsfield), Corbin Dostie (Augusta), Hunter Flynn (Presque Isle), Schuyler Leff (Bethel), Bailey Plourde (Newcastle), Tate Porter (Cumberland), Hunter Richardson (North Monmouth), Andrew St. Peter (Saco), and Cameron Stevens (Gorham).
In addition to his scholarship, St. Peter received an additional $1,000 as the winner of the Winchenbach Award, given annually to the scholarship winner with the best academic record.
Sydney Caron (Gorham) will receive the MSGA Golf Recognition Award.
This year, the MSGA also started the Frank Langlois Scholarship, which awards two $5,000 scholarships to a boy and a girl who have shown an active interest in golf. This year’s Langlois Scholarship winners are Erin Holmes (Cumberland) and Carter Pearl (Newport).
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Tournament season is underway, with two MSGA championships handed out over the weekend.
JW Parks of Pittsfield took the team championship at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club. One of the youngest teams in the field, the JW Parks squad of Gavin Dugas, Eric Dugas, Carter Pearl and Bob Ballard posted a minus-9 to win the tournament by three strokes. It was the first team title for JW Parks.
The Club Team Championship format is teams comprised of four players from the same club competing in a best two balls of four format. Penobscot Valley Country Club (Casey Catell, Len Cole, Jason Harvey, and Will Hutchins) took second place for the second consecutive year. Third place was a tie between Augusta Country Club (Jason Gall, Sean Goggin, Mark Plummer, and Roger Williams) and Sable Oaks Golf Club (Jeff Cole, Mike Doran, Ashley Fifield, and Matt Greenleaf).
Augusta Country Club won its third Senior Club Team title for the third time in the four year history of the tournament. The team of Tom Bean, Mike Nowak, Plummer, and Jim Quinn posted a score of 131 (minus-11) at Belgrade Lakes.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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