Jackson Rothwell is a cool customer during a hot summer.
“There is no additional pressure,” said the defending champion, out of the Victoria Golf Club, ahead of the 121st B.C. men’s amateur championship.
“I like to keep it light. You make it more difficult on yourself by stressing.”
The 2023 edition of the venerable tournament begins today at Morningstar in Parksville and runs through the fourth round Friday. Rothwell will be going for the career three-peat as the 21-year-old St. Michaels University School graduate, who plays in the NCAA Division 1 with the University of San Francisco Dons, looks to add to the titles he won last year at Christina Lake and 2019 at Big Sky in Pemberton.
“I approach every week the same way,” said Rothwell.
But a home-Island tournament, like this week’s B.C. Amateur, comes with an added twist of allowing Rothwell to have his dad, Alex, on the bag as his caddie.
“This will be a special week. We always have a good time together when we are able to do this,” said the younger Rothwell.
Rothwell is coming off a good year at USF as the Dons finished in the top-20 in the NCAA.
“It was a great year and I learned a lot,” said Rothwell, who enters his senior year in the fall.
He doesn’t, however, plan to turn pro following his collegiate eligibility.
“I love golf but I don’t know if I like it that much to sacrifice that much to be on the road all the time,” said Rothwell.
“I can keep my game sharp enough at the amateur level. The game has already given me so much more than I could have asked for or could have even imagined.”
Rothwell is majoring in finance at USF and hopes to get into that field following graduation.
Rothwell continues a recent string of successes for Island golfers in the B.C. Amateur. Tristan Mandur of Mill Bay, a Duncan Meadows member out of the NCAA Pac-12 University of Utah Utes and now a pro, won the 2020 B.C. Amateur title in Kelowna, Rothwell was the champion at age 18 in 2019 at Big Sky and Jake DuVall of Uplands won it in 2017 at Morgan Creek in Surrey. Nolan Thoroughgood of Royal Colwood was the champion as a 15-year-old in 2016 at Pheasant Glen in Qualicum Beach before playing in the NCAA Pac-12 for the Oregon State Beavers.
Other Island players to win the B.C. Amateur since 1980 are Bryan Toth in 2006, Gordie Scutt in 2000, Darren Griff in 1994, Ed Beauchemin in 1984, Steve Berry in 1981 and Sandy Harper in 1980.
The iconic 13-time champion Doug Roxburgh of Marine Drive will be vying for another run at glory at age 71 at Morningstar.
The B.C. men’s amateur championship is returning to the Island for the second time in three years. Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., 2022 NCAA Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year with the Michigan State Spartans, won in 2021 at Storey Creek in Campbell River. McCulloch was based at the Team Canada training centre on Bear Mountain and so had a Langford address at the time and was eligible for that 119th B.C. Amateur.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
