With his senior year at Old Dominion University set to begin this fall, Madison native Seth Sweet received a nice surprise this week from his golf coach, Murray Rudisill. For his final season with the Monarchs, Sweet will see an increase in his scholarship.
“(Rudisill) is basically giving me a full ride,” Sweet said.
Old Dominion is graduating one golfer from the squad that finished in a tie for sixth place at the Conference USA championships this spring. Sweet will be one of two seniors on the roster next season and will be expected to take on a leadership role, he said.
Sweet played in nine tournaments this past season, with an average score of 74. Sweet had three top 10 finishes on the season, and knocked just over a stroke off his average score.
“I improved quite a bit. I made a pretty big jump,” Sweet said.
Sweet said he’s seeing most of his improvement in his long game.
“I’ve already gained 20 yards off the tee. I’m still in the middle of the fairway,” Sweet said. “I’m hitting more greens.”
Sweet won the 2012 Maine Amateur Championship at Sunday River. He placed fourth in the Maine Am in 2011 and 2010. Sweet now lives with his family in Hardeeville, S.C. He won’t play much competitive golf this summer before he goes back to Old Dominion’s Norfolk, Va. campus in August. Sweet said he may try to qualify for the Hilton Head Amateur Championship later this month, and could also compete in the South Carolina Amateur Championship in early August.
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Kents Hill School is holding the 10th Annual Marlee Johnston Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club. The tournament benefits the Marlee Johnston Scholarship Fund at Kents Hill.
The scholarship was started in 2006 by Ted Johnston and Marlene Thibodeau in memory of their daughter, Marlee. A student at Kents Hill, Marlee was killed in Nov., 2005 near her Fayette home.
The scholarship fund provides financial assistance to day students at Kents Hill that might otherwise be unable to attend the school. Two scholarship winners are chosen each year for their academic promise, as well as their ability to contribute enthusiastically to Kents Hill, just as Marlee did.
The team scramble tournament has 26 foursomes scheduled to play, according to Jennifer Fortin of the Kents Hill alumni and advancement office. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The entry fee of $150 per player includes greens fees, carts and lunch.
Gov. Paul LePage will be playing alongside Ted Johnston, Fortin said.
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Qualifying tournament for the Maine Amateur are underway. One hundred and 26 players teed off for 41 spots in the Maine Am in Thursday’s qualifying tourney at Biddeford-Saco Country Club.
The next qualifying tournament will be Tuesday at Fox Ridge in Auburn. The third and final qualifier will be on Thursday at Penobscot Valley in Orono.
The Maine Amateur will be at Waterville Country Club, July 7-9.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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