The 23-year-old member of Uplands Golf Club was keen as he made his way east over the weekend, taking in practice rounds on each course. But a slow start in the opening round on Monday means he’ll have his work cut out for him. DuVall opened with a 3-over 73 which leaves him tied for 107th going into today’s second round.
“It would be unreal if I could win. I’m hitting the ball pretty good right now and after the big confidence boost from the B.C. Amateur, I like to think I have some kind of a chance,” said the six-foot-three, 260-pound right-hander, who is more than capable of hitting it deep.
“It’s a really good field, obviously. You have to play well to make the cut and I don’t think I’m going to miss it this year. It’s too far to go to miss a cut.”
That was Duvall’s fate two years ago at the Weston Golf and Country Club in Ontario when he fell a single shot short of the two-day cut in his only other appearance at the national amateur event.
“I felt pretty good going into the B.C. Amateur. In last year’s, I was in it, but played badly the last two days. I’ve been playing well this summer and working hard on my game,” said DuVall, who recently wrapped up a playing career at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, a small Division II school.
“I played stress-free for four rounds and didn’t get myself into a lot of trouble,” he said of this year’s provincial championship. “I’ve been hitting the ball great. It surprised me [to win] in that I hadn’t won anything that big before, but the way I was hitting it going into the tournament, it didn’t surprise me in that sense.”
In Toronto, DuVall is joined by Willingdon Cup teammates Chris Crisologo of Richmond and UVic’s Lawren Rowe. The latter replaces Royal Colwood’s Kevin Carrigan, who earned the spot on the B.C. team, but could not attend due to work commitments. Rowe was selected as he is the No. 1-ranked amateur in the province and he got off to a pretty good start, shooting 71 on Monday to sit in a tie for 50th.
Other Island players competing individually are Dylan Bell, Kyler Bourgeault, Jamie Cartwright, Callum Davison, Mac Keats, Josh Miller, Tony Trozzo, Jimmy Jones and 13-year-old sensation Jeevan Sihota. Jones, of Lake Cowichan, had the lowest round of the bunch on Monday, shooting 68, good for a tie for 14th. Sahota opened with a 74.
“That kid is amazing,” DuVall said of Sihota. “I was really impressed with him when I played with him in the last round [of the B.C. Amateur]. For 13, that just blows my mind.”
As for DuVall, he intends to continue on his amateur play until the spring when he plans to attempt to qualify for the MacKenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada and hopes to turn pro next summer.
For now, his focus is on a Canadian amateur crown.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’m just going to go out there like I did in the B.C. Amateur and have fun with it,” said DuVall, whose dad Glen (who passed away more than a year ago) taught him golf at age three. His mom, Sue DuVall (nee Walton), was a multi-sport athlete at UVic, so growing up DuVall played numerous sports until he started focusing on golf late in his high school years.
CHIP SHOTS: Next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur will be played at Duncan Meadows and Pheasant Glen. The 2018 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur will be played at Victoria Golf Club.
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