Jackson Jodoin has a solid, all-around golf game. He typically puts himself in good position off the tee, plus he can chip and putt.
Jodoin, a freshman at Bedford High School, proved all that by placing first in a Drive, Chip and Putt regional qualifier held at TPC Boston on Sept. 16. Jodoin prevailed in the Boys 14-15 Division, and, by winning that qualifier, became one of 80 golfers who earned an invitation to compete at next year’s 10th Annual Drive, Chip and Putt national finals, which will be held April 7 at Augusta National Golf Club.
The 80 golfers will represent 31 states, one Canadian province and Australia.
“I’m a 2-handicap, so I’m pretty well-rounded,” Jodoin said. “I’m really good with the chipping and putting, and the driver I can hit pretty far for my size. My dad told me, ‘You’d be really good in this because it’s all your strengths.’
“I wasn’t really expecting to win. The (qualifier) at TPC Boston was during the hurricane, so there was like 30 mile-an-hour winds and all that, and it had rained before so it was really tough conditions. I didn’t perform that great compared to my second qualifier. I was the second (player) to go and there were 10 kids behind me and it was pretty nerve-wracking waiting for all the scores to come in as I was staying in first place. After about eight players came in I started to think, ‘Maybe I do have a chance.’”
Drive, Chip and Putt is a free, nationwide youth golf development program open to boys and girls ages 7-15 in four age divisions.
Local qualifying for the 10th season of Drive, Chip and Putt began in May throughout the country. The top three scorers at each venue in the four age categories (boys and girls divisions) advanced to sub-regional qualifiers in July and August. The top two sub-regional finishers moved on to one of the 10 regional qualifiers.
“The first qualifier was at Biddeford-Saco (Country Club) up in Maine, then the second was at Pease (Golf Course),” Jodoin said. “Both pretty nice courses.”
Scoring for Drive, Chip and Putt events features a maximum of 25 points per shot in each skill category. Each player takes three shots per skill, for a maximum of 225 points. Points are based on accuracy and distance for driving, and proximity for chipping and putting.
“It’s a 40-yard wide fairway, and you get points depending how far you hit it,” Jodoin explained. “If you miss the fairway you get zero points. The chipping and putting are very similar. There’s rings (around the hole) and each ring is worth points for how close you are. Same ring system with the putts, it’s just a different putting green.”
Jodoin, a member of the Bedford High School golf team, finished as the runner-up to Grey Gagnon in the Boys Prep Division at this year’s Mike Ryan Memorial Tournament, a New Hampshire Golf Association junior event held at Derryfield Country Club. Jodoin eliminated top-seeded Zach Nelson before falling to Gagnon, 4 and 2.
Jodoin is one of eight Bedford High School golfers who will compete in the NHIAA Division I golf team tournament, which begins Tuesday at Canterbury Woods Country Club. The Division I individual tournament will start Saturday at Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Concord.
Since the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals will be held the Sunday before The Masters begins, Jodoin will also be allowed to watch a practice round during his time in Georgia.
“For the driving it’s on the (Augusta National) practice facility,” Jodoin said. “The chipping is also on the practice facility, but the putting is on the 18th green. If you’re a golfer there’s no better place to go.”
Jodoin called prevailing at the TPC Boston event the highlight of his golf career.
“I was in shock,” he said. “I had a reaction, but not really. It was hard to comprehend what happened because I was not expecting it at all. It still hasn’t really processed.”
