Shorehaven Golf Club is near Calf Pasture Beach. But it extends north to Old Saugatuck Road, the Norwalk name for Duck Pond Road.
The 15th hole is a downhill par 3. If you hook your drive over the fence along the road, with a bounce or 2 the ball lands in Westport.
Which is enough of a “hook” (ho ho) for this story.
Dave Wilson captained the 1974 Staples soccer team. Four years later, he was captain at Dartmouth.
Cameron Wilson
Dave and his wife (longtime Sports Illustrated writer Myra Gelband) did not move far — to Rowayton — and their son Cameron got his golfing start at Shorehaven. Cameron may have sent an errant ball or two into Westport in his early days, but for many years his drives have been true. As well as his putts, and everything else about his golf game.
Cameron is now a Stanford University senior. Last week, in Hutchinson, Kansas, he won the NCAA national golf championship. His birdie on the 3rd hole of a playoff against Georgia Tech earned him the title — and helped the Cardinal to the top score in team qualifying.
Cameron bogeyed the final hole, leading to the playoff. But, he said, “The sun was setting, the fescue looked green everywhere, there’s (American) flags everywhere and (my opponent) is a friend,” Wilson said. “I was just thinking it was all really cool.”
Cameron Wilson at the NCAA championship. Read below to see why this photo ignited an internet debate. (Photo/Wall Street Journal)
His win was not without controversy. The Twitterverse erupted in outrage because Cameron used a 3-wheel pushcart, rather than carry his bags (a Wall Street Journal writer countered, “Push carts are the way golf should be played” — and few people noted that Cameron used his push cart because of a back injury). But that hardly detracted from his victory.
The new national champion is not resting on his laurels. He’s back east soon to play his 1st pro tournament: the Travelers PGA Tour in Hartford. He’s also earned an invitation to the John Deere PGA event in July.
Others are sure to follow. Just as Cameron Wilson is sure to follow in the footsteps of another Stanford golfer who won an NCAA national championship.
You may have heard of him. Guy by the name of Tiger Woods.
(Want to learn more? Check out this great, in-depth interview on Golf.com.)
This is so exciting. Does anyone know what auto invites he now receives? The U.S. Open? The Masters? Congratulations Dave!
Go Cameron!! Great stuff. Congrats to his parents for raising such a good guy who has had the respect of the entire golf community for a very long time!
Contratulations Cameron! And Myra and Dave, I can see you guys grinning from over here in Westport. A toast to you all.