WINDSOR — At 14, most kids spend their summers at the pool, on vacation or with friends. For Windsor High sophomore Jake Smith, this summer was historic.
On the final day of August, Smith became “one of the youngest, if not the youngest” club champions in the 104-year history of John P. Larkin Country Club, according to club board president Art Keating.
Weeks later, the milestone still hasn’t fully set in for Smith, who first began hitting golf balls in his backyard at age 3.
“I was definitely shocked when the last putt dropped,” he said. “I was just filled with excitement … I don’t really know how to explain it.”
The club championship, billed on the club’s website as its “premier event of the summer,” spanned two weekends in August and used a one-on-one match play format. Players were flighted by handicap and seeded based on scores from up to two qualifying rounds.
Smith’s score earned him a bye in the opening round of the championship flight. His first match nearly ended in defeat, as he trailed by three holes with three left to play. But he rallied to win all three, forced a playoff, and advanced.
He followed that comeback with another victory the following weekend, then closed out the 36-hole final with a commanding performance, clinching the title with a 4-and-3 win.
While Smith said he wasn’t nervous entering the tournament, he admitted to feeling some tension late in the final.
“Going into the last couple of holes knowing I was up so much, I got a little nervous,” he said. “I tried to stay focused and just play my game, no matter what the score was.”
For his win, Smith received a championship belt, his name on a plaque and a spot on the club’s wall of champions.
Though historic, the victory didn’t surprise his high school coach, Pat Allen.
“He’s not your typical 14-year-old kid,” Allen said. “Just the way he carries himself, his maturity, the way he can lock in during pressure situations.”
Keating praised the same qualities.
“He’s a mentor to other golfers, polite, respectful, and that’s all off the golf course,” Keating said. “I think what that does is allows him to focus on the golf course, focus on school, with a strong eye on the future.”
Allen has been watching Smith for years.
“I saw him at the course, I think he was in fifth grade,” Allen said. “I just saw a lefty swing from a distance, and I had to go over and talk to his dad.”
Smith’s ability to make smart decisions — when to lay up, when to be aggressive — along with his work ethic and growth as a student of the game have aided his development, Allen said. Over the past year, Smith has improved his putting and short game, and added length to his drives as he has grown taller.
That progress has carried into the high school season. On Tuesday, Smith shot an 80 at the SVL Championships, finishing just four strokes off the lead and helping Windsor to a fourth-place team finish.
“So far in the matches he’s been paired with, in my opinion, two or three of the top guys in the state, and he’s been right with them,” Allen said. “Most of those guys are juniors and seniors.”
Smith has aspirations of playing collegiately and eventually professionally — goals Allen said are within reach.
“I haven’t had a kid quite like him,” Allen said. “He’s extremely skilled, a gifted golfer. He’s an even better kid, though.”
