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By Brian Pitts

Davie Enterprise Record

Davie golfer Anderson Beliveau improved by a whopping 30 spots – he tied for 39th in the 2022 Midwest Regional and tied for ninth in the 2023 regional – and turned in Davie’s best showing in this event in five seasons.

The regional was held at Eagle Chase Golf Club in Marshville on May 8.

The gifted sophomore shot a 1-over 73 to tie for ninth out of 81 players and easily qualify for the state tournament. He took a big step from last year’s regional at Oak Valley, when he shot 79 to tie for 39th and missed the state cut by three strokes.

“The course kind of fit my game,” Beliveau said. “I’m a pretty good wedge player. My irons aren’t the best, but luckily I had wedges at every hole. My drives were good. It’s kind of a tight course, but if you’re driving it good, it helps a lot. I gave myself a lot of 100-yard shots and was able to hit it in there pretty close a lot.”

Beliveau turned in eight pars, five birdies, four bogeys and one double bogey. He was just one stroke from a share of fifth. After his double bogey on No. 14, he gathered himself and closed with four straight pars.

“It was kind of an unlucky hole,” he said of the double bogey. “I was 1-under going into that hole. On this hole, you have to aim to the left side because it funnels down to the right. I hit it pretty good; it looked like it was going to be right in the middle of the fairway. But it kicked right into some rocks. I had a rock behind the ball and in front of the ball. I tried to get relief from it because I didn’t know if it was an unplayable condition, but they made me play it. It was just an unlucky break.”

The tie for ninth was Davie’s best effort since Wesley Sink took third in 2017.

“I’m not the longest (with the driver),” he said. “I’m probably averaging 260 carry off the tee. It wasn’t a real long course. It was for straight hitters, so it fit me well.”

The cutoff for a state berth was 75. Davie senior Colby Moore barely missed as he tied for 20th at 76. Davie’s other three participants were junior Cooper Drum (82), senior Walker Jones (88) and junior Sean Coates (88). The medalist shot 66.

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Beliveau competed in the 4-A state meet at Pinehurst No. 8 on May 15-16. He shot 15-over (82-77–159) to tie for 51st out of 84.

The 4-A individual champion was Apex Friendship’s Daniel McBrien, who carded a 4-under 66 and won the second playoff hole against Colin Salema of Providence. The team champion was Pinecrest, which finished 21-over.

Beliveau was Davie’s first state qualifier since Sink in 2017.