DOVER – Brett Wilson says the annual Seacoast Amateur Golf Championship, now in its 44th year, is certainly a special event. An event that means different things to different people.
For Wilson, the only five-time winner in the history of the tournament, it’s the ability to spend three days with his father, Dave, who flies in from Florida and serves as his caddie.
More: 43 years at the Seacoast Amateur Golf Championship. Who won each year.
“I know it’s one of his favorite weekends, and I am not getting any younger,” said Wilson, 50. “I appreciate every time I get to hang out and spend the weekend with him.”
Wilson, a member at both the Golf Club of New England and Cocheco Country Club, won his first Seacoast Am in 2007, and also won in 2008, 2013, 2017 and 2018.
“(The titles) are all different,” Wilson said. “The first one is always the hardest. (Jamie) Ferullo won for the first time last year, but he certainly had opportunities before and probably should've gotten one by now. I struggled to get the job done on the first one, but once you’ve won, it’s never easy, but it’s easier.”
The tournament is also special to Wilson who watched the tournament, which started in 1981, as a child. Wilson then modeled his game after some of the early winners like Neil Kelly, Don Folsom, Peter Harrity and Craig Steckowych.
“I grew up in this area and saw a lot of people I admired have some success in this tournament,” Wilson said.
Of his five titles, Wilson calls his 2013 championship “special” as he won in a playoff. Also in that tournament, Wilson hit a hole-in-one on the par-4, 314-yard 12 th hole at the Links at Outlook in South Berwick, Maine.
“A bunch of things fell together in that tournament,” Wilson said. “That one was special. This tournament is one of the highlights of the summer. It’s a lot fun with a great bunch of guys. New players emerge every year.”
It’s been six years since Wilson won his last title and broke a three-way tie with Kelly, Harrity and Folsom who were all tied with four titles.
“It’s always hard (to win),” Wilson said. “You’re not going to play your best three days in a row, and you’re not going to play your best on three different courses. There are a lot of great players in the field, and there’s always somebody new that’s throwing themselves into the mix. I will give it my best (this weekend) and hopefully, that’s enough.”
Seacoast Am tees off Friday; three-time champ withdraws
The tournament begins Friday at Portsmouth Country Club, shifts to Pease Golf Course on Saturday, and concludes Sunday at Breakfast Hill Country Club.
“It’s the classic Seacoast rotation,” Wilson said. “Each of the courses is incredibly different. I am familiar with all of them; don’t necessarily play all of them a lot.”
Steckowych, the only golfer to win this tournament in three different decades (1989, 1997, 2006), had to withdraw from this year's tournament.
"It's a great open field with a lot of really good players," Steckowych said. "It's really up for grabs for any of them."
Dinwoodie reflects on 2022 title; won’t put pressure on himself this year
Derek Dinwoodie rallied on the final day in 2022, overtook second-day leader Harvin Groft and eventually held off Wilson by two strokes for his first championship.
“My putter got hot on the last day and allowed me to stay (in contention),” said Dinwoodie. “I kept plugging away and rolling putts. It’s special to win one. You see guys like Craig Steckowych and Peter Kielty, and guys like that who’ve won. It’s cool to have your name up there with them. (Steckowych) is a legend in New Hampshire for amateur golf.”
Dinwoodie, a member at Links at Outlook, admits he put too much pressure on himself last year defending his title. He tied for 23 rd , 24 strokes off the pace.
“Obviously, my goal (this year) is to win, but I am not putting that on my shoulders,” Dinwoodie said. “I think I put too much on myself last year. You put too much on yourself and you play tense and let things bother you. The more pressure you put on yourself, the harder it’s going to be.”
Two-time champ calls tournament ‘awesome’
Nick McLaughlin, a member at Wentworth Country Club, won his first Seacoast Amateur in 2014; his second one came five years later.
“This tournament is awesome, it’s one of my favorite events of the years,” said McLaughlin. “It’s fun, and generates local excitement. It’s the only tournament with a different course each day; that makes it fun; it's a unique test.”
McLaughlin says this year’s three courses – Portsmouth Country Club, Pease, and Breakfast Hill – will offer challenges to the field.
“Portsmouth and Pease are pretty open off the tee where you can get up, hit it and go find it,” McLaughlin said. “Then you transition to Breakfast Hill, which is almost the exact opposite. It’s a little shorter course and much tighter. It’s exciting knowing that both styles of play will be tested this year.”
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast Am: Wilson ready for another special weekend with caddie; ex-champion withdraws
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