Gardner-Webb's Vincent Blanchette Wins 81st Duke of Kent Golf Tournament
July 12, 2015 | Men's Golf
BOISCHATEL, Quebec – Gardner-Webb rising junior Vincent Blanchette blazed a first-round score of 67 and kept the pressure on through the final round to capture the 81st edition of the prestigious Duke of Kent Golf Tournament at Royal Quebec Golf Club.
Blanchette (St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec / College Charles-Lemoyne) birdied three of the final five holes on Saturday to finish with a final round of 70, winning the event by two strokes over a group of five players tied for second place. Representing his home Pinegrove course, Blanchette carded a 2-under 33 on the front nine Friday and birdied the first two holes on the back nine en route to finishing 5-under par for the day and the top spot on the opening leaderboard.
He overcame a rough start on the first four holes Saturday (+2), holing a key birdie on number six and posting four birdies on the back nine to rally for a 70 – and the tournament victory. Blanchette has a history of success at the event, having finished second in 2012 with a two-day score of 139.
Blanchette's two day scoring average of 68.5 was considerably better than the tournament average (75.2). He was at his best on the back nine, averaging a 34 over the two-day event. Blanchette finished with 10 birdies and only three bogies over 36 holes and finished at a combined minus-4 on par 5 holes on the weekend.
The historic Royal Quebec Golf Club was founded in 1874.
Blanchette now advances to play for the Quebec Provincial Amateur Championship, the final leg of Quebec's Triple Crown – which will be played from July 26-29 at the Royal Estrie Golf Club. He finished in a tie for fifth earlier this summer at the Alexander of Tunis Tournament (July 5-6) – an event he captured last summer – and finished fourth at the Beaconsfield Spring Open in late May.
Blanchette's scoring average over five rounds this summer is a sizzling 69.8, and he sits in second position for a chance to represent Quebec's Provincial Team at the 2015 Canadian Men's Amateur Championships – which will be played in Toronto from August 10-13.
Blanchette enjoyed a strong sophomore season under Coach Tee Burton at Gardner-Webb, capping the campaign with a spot on the 2015 Big South All-Championship Team. He finished fourth at the Patriot Golf Club at Grand Harbor (Ninety Six, S.C.), carding rounds of 68, 71 and 71 to finish just three strokes behind the tournament champion. A strong player on par-5 holes, Blanchette recorded a tournament-best three eagles.
For the season, Blanchette posted a 73.23 scoring average in 31 rounds, with his best round of 68 coming at the Golfweek Program Challenge in September at in the opening round of the Big South Championship in April.
He finished second at the 2015 Cape Fear National Intercollegiate (March 15-16), leading Gardner-Webb to a team title. He was the top finisher for the Runnin' Bulldogs three times in the final six events of the season.
