Daniels – Prior to the last year, Shady Spring graduate and current WVU golfer Todd Duncan was more often than not the best when he stepped on the course.
Two state championships and numerous other wins would easily reaffirm that belief.
A year of Big 12 play has shown Duncan that the game goes far beyond how far he can drive the ball off the tee and across the three days at the Mountain State Golf Classic his maturation was on full display.
In speaking with him after each of the final two days, he went further into detail than he ever had before in discussing and breaking down his strategy displaying a better understanding of the game and strategy involved. He insightfully explained his use of different clubs, strategies off the tee, avoiding temptation and it all made sense. He laid a plan of attack and stuck to it when the rounds got tight, never getting too greedy.
Avoiding bogeys on Day 2 of the tournament, Duncan took a calm, measured approach on the final day, playing conservatively until he needed to turn up the heat. With 2021 champion Davey Jude hot on his heels with a pair of birdies that slashed a four-stroke lead at the turn to one stroke by the time the two reached No. 14, Duncan exhibited the calm and collected demeanor necessary to avoid a meltdown. And he easily could’ve had one.
In last year’s tournament the talented golfer saw a five-stroke lead evaporate on the back nine after multiple bogeys on 15 and 16 cost him the lead and ultimately, the tournament.
Jude, a close friend of Duncan’s, noticed this year was much different. Jude was a prodigy himself at Duncan’s age, having played at Marshall before turning pro and as such he’s aware of Duncan’s path and the obstacles that stand in the way. While he hated to relinquish his title, he couldn’t help but enjoy Duncan’s victory to an extent.
“He played conservatively and I was very proud of that,” Jude said. “I try to mentor him a little bit. I went through what he’s going through right now and I even said out there on hole 12 that this was the smartest I’d ever seen Todd play. He’s a really aggressive player and he showed some maturity today.”
With Jude’s charge coming at almost exactly the same point it did a year ago, Duncan didn’t allow it to derail him. In a game that requires the mental fortitude to put mistakes behind you quickly, Duncan did just that and not just in his final round.
After his tee shot off No. 15 on Day 2 found itself near the out of bounds marker, it was up in the air whether Duncan would be assessed a penalty. As a result he had to play two balls on that hole and trek through the next three before he received the ruling. With the uncertainty of how the hole would play out – eventually he was ruled in bounds and made par on the hole – he quickly refocused and avoided bogeys on the remaining three holes. A year ago a bogey snowballed into another on those exact two holes.
In the final round he vanquished those demons, birdying 14 to push his lead back to two strokes and sinking another birdie putt on 15.
“I was just trying to not think about last year as much,” Duncan said. “It was coming to my head a little bit but I knew I was better golfer than last year and I knew I’d make better choices than last year so I really didn’t think about it that much. But it’s always going too be in the back of your head when you go around that stretch because it’s a tough finish out here. I really just tried to put it behind me and play the next shot.”
Duncan did exactly that, putting to bed the nightmare of 2021.