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Three cheers for Sheedy as he pushes to State Am final

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Jul 11, 2020

Cam Sheedy sank a big eagle putt vs. Nashua Country Club’s Jack Brown in Friday’s New Hampshire State Am quarterfinals at NCC, and waited for the fan reaction.

Crickets.

He pulled a Patrick Reed and put his hand to his ear. Nada.

That, he said, fired him up.

“It’s one of those things you use as motivation, fuel the fire,” Sheedy said.

But oh, there were fans cheering for him in his semifinal win over The Oaks’ Harvin Groft.

“Yeah, I had a couple of my buddies pop out, my family was here,” he said. “I hope it wasn’t about everyone hearing about the Patrick Reed thing.”

Today’s final is a contrast of personalities; NCC’s favorite son, James Pleat, is a Nashua South alum who went to Dartmouth. He’s calm, polite, and quiet. Sheedy is a Bishop Guertin High School alum from Pepperell, Mass., and played for Cards coach Paul Rousseau. The kid is full of spunk, left Limestone University in Gaffney, S.C. after one month, and basically says what’s on his mind.

It may be a family trait; as his Dad Joe approached him after the semis match was clinched on the 16th green, he yelled out, “Was that really my kid out there? I didn’t recognize him.”

Of course Pleat had his family with him, too; heck, father Phil caddied for him and will no doubt do the same today. And what adds a little spice to this is Sheedy elminated Phil Pleat in the round of 16 Thursday afternoon, and rather decisively at 6 and 5. You can bet James will have a good scouting report.

Sheedy knows he’s not the fan favorite. Pleat is NCC’s favorite son, has had a huge fan following all week, and was the medalist and has fought all the way to the finals. “He’s a local legend at Nashua Country Club,” Sheedy said.

Sheedy and his family were, for a time, members at NCC. He now plays at Vesper in Tyngsborough, Mass., and when the NHGA opened up the event, he and a couple of other Vesper people figured why not.

He and Rousseau, whom he calls one of my favorite coaches of all-time, must’ve been a pair, because neither one really holds back.

“We definitely clashed,” Sheedy said with a grin. “Let’s just say I sat next to him on the bus a lot during freshman year. Especially after a bad round. …

“But playing BG golf was one of the best experiences of my life for sure.”

Golf is once again becoming a big deal in Sheedy’s life.

“Hopefully,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out where I’m going with it. I work at a golf store. I love instruction. I love the game now; it’s been awhile since I’ve loved the game. This year re-ignited my passion.”

Sheedy didn’t like mixing golf and school at Limestone. He says he started hating the game of golf and admits he never really like school.

“I was there for the wrong reasons,” he said. “I needed to be going there for school and playing golf on the side, but I was going there for golf and playing school on the side.”

When do you get that kind of candor from a kid who graduated high school just two years ago? Sheedy says that taking time off for COVID-19, coupled with golf re-opening in May, got his tees and greens passion going.

Remember, as a BG golfer he knows NCC pretty well; but Sheedy discounts that for today’s final. “There’s nothing too difficult, keep the ball in play,” he said, adding that the greens are “phenomenal”.

And he takes a simple strategy into today’s final.

“Just keeping the momentum up; that’s something I’ve always been told,” he said. “Once you’re moving, keep your foot on the gas.”

And your hand to your ear if there is no cheer.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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