Josh Cameron wins Norwich Invitational title
Tops Lavoie 2 and 1 in the championship flight final
“We both didn't play great... a couple of holes we were punching each other in the gut. But, a win is a win. Todd is a really, really good friend of mine. You've got mixed emotions. You want to see him win but you also don't want to have him win at your expense.”
JOSH CAMERON
— Josh Cameron dealt with oppressive heat, a stubborn opponent and mixed emotions on Sunday.
He conquered all three to win the 94th Norwich Invitational.
When the championship flight match finally ended with Cameron rolling in a birdie putt on the 17th hole, he was exhausted from playing five competitive rounds in three days and thoroughly satisfied with the 2 and 1 victory at Norwich Golf Course.
Cameron, the top seed, also felt sympathy for his opponent, Todd Lavoie. They're golfing buddies.
"We both didn't play great...," Cameron said. "A couple of holes we were punching each other in the gut. But, a win is a win. Todd is a really, really good friend of mine. You've got mixed emotions. You want to see him win but you also don't want to have him win at your expense."
Lavoie felt the same way, even though it would have been great for him to win his first Norwich Invitational title in roughly 25 tournament appearances.
"We've actually partnered in a tournament and won a tournament in New Hampshire last year," said Lavoie, a 1997 Norwich Free Academy graduate and fouryear member of the Wildcat golf team. "It's always fun playing with him. It was going to be bittersweet either way. If I won, I would have felt for him and vice versa."
Both golfers won their semifinal matches in the morning by 3 and 2 scores. Cameron knocked out No. 4 David Marshall while Lavoie beat 2018 champion Chris DeLucia.
In the championship match, neither player could gain any momentum for the first 11 holes and the match remained tight.
"We were just going back and forth," said Cameron, who's from Oakdale and a member at Shennecossett Golf Course. "It was exciting."
Competing on his home course, the third-seeded Lavoie kept his composure while playing in his first championship flight title match. He recovered nicely on several occasions with some impressive play around the green.
His short birdie putt on No. 12 handed him a 1-up edge.
Then Cameron took charge, winning three straight holes to seize the lead for good.
He buried a 25-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par 3, 13th hole, to even the match.
"I probably would have normally chipped it, but I had no choice because it was on bare dirt," Cameron said. "I just tried to put a decent stroke on it and get it somewhere close... and it just happened to go in."
On the next hole, Lavoie found the green-side bunker and Cameron took advantage, recording a par to go 1-up.
When Lavoie's short par putt spun out on No. 15, Cameron won the hole and posted the biggest lead (2-up) in the match.
Lavoie hung in there until Cameron closed out his second Norwich
Invitational championship win on the 17th hole.
"It's great," said Cameron of winning his second title, with the last one coming in 2017. "I've made it to a semi and three finals now and to come out with two wins is a pretty good percentage. I'm happy and I'm looking forward to trying to repeat next year."
Lavoie also is looking forward to coming back. He just hopes for a different result the next time he reaches the finals.
"I've been very close to tasting (a championship victory)," Lavoie said.
"Obviously, pretty close this year. If I could have picked a guy in the field to lose to, it would have been Josh. Not that I ever want to lose. It would have been awesome to beat him because he's a really good golfer."
Other winners
Several other champions were crowned on Sunday.
In the First Flight, Shawn Hilario defeated Dave Jones, 5 and 4, while Joe Nagel beat Matt Fuller, 5 and 3, to take the Second Flight.
Matt Lame outlasted Chris Bennett in a 19-hole marathon final in the Third Flight. Steve Chevalier knocked off Michael Lalima, 7 and 6, in the Fourth Flight. Joe Romanelli beat Matthew Hutchinson in 21 holes in the Fifth Flight while Mike Nevins beat David DeRosier, 4 and 2, in the Sixth Flight.