Big Ben tops NCAA field
Ben Hebert went out on top.
The 17-year-old Thorold resident shot a 74 to top the field at Monday’s Niagara Catholic Athletic Association zone 2 golf tournament at Twenty Valley.
“It’s really good because this is my last year doing this and I felt like this is the cherry on top for the rest of the season,” the Grade 12 Denis Morris student said.
Hebert noted the conditions were less than ideal.
“It seemed like there was a lot of wind on the first tee,” he said. “Deciding clubs was a big factor in winning today, picking the right clubs and making sure I got the right yardages down. I know one hole specifically it was 20 yards into the wind, which is kind of tough, and it’s up the hill and it’s a par three. Reading the conditions of the course was really important.”
But Hebert made sure not to get caught up in using the elements as an excuse.
“I played golf for a long time and I realized if I play my own ball then and I shoot the best I can out there, I’m probably going to win,” he said. “I believe that in myself.”
Hebert plays out of Lookout Point which he says has helped his game.
“I’m good friends with other junior golfers out there. We play all the time and have a good time,” he said. “Lookout is a tough course and it really helps with fine tuning specific parts of the game like chipping and stuff.”
Hebert didn’t play on the Niagara District junior tour this summer, instead concentrating on provincial Golf Ontario events.
Hebert made the cut at a U19 event and Spring Classic and made it all the way to the quarter-finals at a Match Play Tournament.
“I did pretty well. I wasn’t expecting to get that far. I was happy to achieve that level and getting that far.”
Hebert plans to try and qualify for the Golf Canada tournaments next summer while he plots his course for university.
“I’m focusing on the now right now,” he said. “I’m looking around at opportunities in Canada and the States. I really haven’t figured out what I want to do.”
Mya Nitsopolous of Denis Morris was the top girls performer shooting at 110. Teammates Veronica Mable (146) and Nathalie Hjertberg (148) were the only other females to participate.
SCOREBOARDS
Zone 2 individual girls qualifying for SOSSA: Mya Nitsopolous, Denis Morris.
Zone 2 boys teams qualifying for SOSSA: 1. Blessed Trinity (Hudson Mielko 76, Cole Thompson 76, Joshua Fabina 86, John Kingdon 89, Jordan Spratt 100); 2. St. Mike’s (Eduardo Ramirez 77, Alec Linton 86, Vincent Cuviello 88, Angelo Butera 92, Aidan Smith 94); 3. St. Francis (John Roots 84, Matthew Hitchcock 85, Tommy Goodwin 87, Luca Testa 91, Carter Dymtrow 94).
Zone 2 individual boys qualifying for SOSSA: 1. Ben Hebert, Denis Morris 74; 2. Michael Martel, Notre Dame 77; Nate Ditto, Holy Cross 82.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 4,500 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
