Familiar surroundings

Former Hurricane wins Atlantic title

Nikashantess Penashue’s heart was racing as he closed in on an Atlantic Golf Championship Sunday at the Fox Meadow Golf Club.

But the pressure didn’t bother him. In fact, he relished it.

“To feel that pressure again, I loved it,” he admitted. “I really enjoyed it coming in there on 18 with people there watching.”

Penashue grew up in Sheshatshiu, a First Nations community in central Labrador, but is now a carpenter in St. John’s, N.L., a trade he learned while on Prince Edward Island three years ago. He attended Holland College for two years, studying golf course management and later carpentry.

“We used to practice here as a team,” the former Holland College Hurricanes golfer said near the 18th hole of the Stratford golf course. “I knew the course really well and that really helped me” this week.

Penashue followed up an opening round even-par 72 with a 4-under on Saturday and closed out the championship with a 2-under 70. He won by eight shots over Kensington’s Jason Campbell.

“It’s a huge honour,” he said to win the tournament. “I played really well out there. My competitors played really well as well. They didn’t make it easy.”

It was a bit of redemption for Penashue, who said he struggled putting at nationals earlier this summer.

“After nationals I really practised hard because I knew I had Atlantics coming up and I really wanted to win this one,” he said.

Penashue was Holland College’s male rookie of the year in 2011-12, won the Atlantic Canadian Athletic Association golf