Higher altitude means longer drives: Bergevin headed to the Mountaineers

Published 7:03 pm Thursday, February 16, 2023

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Washington High School senior Robert Bergevin will play golf for the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the fall.

Bergevin, one of the top junior golfers in the East, signed his scholarship papers in the WHS fieldhouse Thursday morning.

“Appalachian has been my dream school for a long time and it’s fantastic that it worked out,” Bergevin said. “I probably would have gone there and tried to walk on if they didn’t offer me a scholarship. My dad graduated from there and we’ve gone to a ton of football games over the years. Boone is a fun town and this means the world to me and my family.”

Bergevin qualified for the 2A state tournament for the first time last spring and finished 19thon the Foxfire Red course in Pinehurst. He followed up with a strong summer campaign on the Tarheel Junior Golf Tour.

 He fired a final-round 67 to win the junior amateur tournament at the RBC Sandhills course in September, then followed up with a third place finish in the Raleigh Fall Junior Open two weeks later.

He closed the 2022 season by finishing sixth at the Long Leaf Golf Club in Southern Pines and eighth at Pinehurst #7 in December.

“he’s the hardest-working kid I’ve coached and that includes my soccer guys, WHS coach Jim Kozuch said. “He is a student of the game and is willing to put in the extra time that it takes to keep playing in college. He deserves the opportunity and I’m very proud of him.”

The high school golf season starts soon and Bergevin plans on returning to the state meet with his teammates.

“We tied for eighth last year and I thik we can do better,” he said. “My mental game has improved the most, because I put a lot of pressure on myself last spring. I’ve learned to relax and have worked hard to improve my wedge shots from 100 yards and closer. I’m looking forward to a better finish for our team and for me this time.”

Bergevin plays out of the Washington Yacht & Country Club and the Cypress Landing Golf Club.