PATRICK: Nice guy finishes on top
The cliche “nice guys finish last” took on a completely different spin during the awards presentation during Monday’s Callaway Junior Tour stop at Parkersburg Country Club.
During the awards presentation, Dakota Carpenter from Webster County was recognized as the 13th recipient of the Lary Martin Sportsman of the Year Award – following in the footsteps of former area honorees such as Parkersburg High School’s Lauryn Davidson ((2013) and Anna Earl (2023), along with the Roane County brothers Cole, Cam and Caleb Moore (2015).
“This award is really cool of course – I really didn’t expect it,” said Carpenter, who resides in Camden on Gauley. “This is my third year playing on the Callaway Junior Tour and I’ve played with a lot of different people over the years. I’ve had a lot of fun being kind and stuff. That’s always more important for me than scores.
“This means a lot to me. It’s how I was raised. Just be kind to people and expect people to be kind to you. That’s what this award means to me. Just to be kind even if others are not.”
If scores played into the process of determining the Sportsman of the Year, Carpenter’s chances of being considered might diminish. He joined the Callaway Junior Tour two years ago and shot triple digits for the most part. This year in seven events, his game has received an upgrade with five of his seven rounds in the 90s – including a season-low 91 Tuesday at Mingo Bottom Golf Club in Elizabeth.
“When I was a sophomore in high school, I was consistently shooting in the 100s – that was a big adjustment because I was going from the tees just forward from the back tees and for the 15-18 age divisions we moved to the back tees,” Carpenter said. “I’ve always been OK with shooting bad scores. It’s more about the experience. I never played at Parkersburg Country Club and I had a great time playing here. It was so much of a joy to play here.
“That is what the Callaway Junior Tour is for me, just getting out and experiencing new golf courses.”
The soft-spoken Carpenter plans to attend West Virginia Wesleyan in the fall. He grew up watching his older brother, Zac, and his friends turn in low rounds. At the same time, he also witnessed the demeanor of golfers change following a bad shot or undesirable round.
“I try to keep it positive and upbeat,” Carpenter said. “If it is a bad shot, you can’t do anything about it. My brother would press and I saw a lot of other golfers do that.
“My scores have never affected how I treated people.”
In his three seasons on the Callaway Junior Tour, Carpenter never qualified for the Tour Championship at The Greenbrier. At the same time, he is in a good place knowing he played the game the right way and encouraged his peers to play their best.
“My freshman year in high school, I chose not to play on the Callaway Junior Tour – I was shooting high scores and felt I wasn’t good enough at the time,” Carpenter said. “I had a great time my sophomore year. That was my brother’s last year on the tour. I loved playing and being close to him, and going to all the tournaments together. So he was definitely a big part getting me to play on the tour.”
Officials associated with the Callaway Junior Tour did themselves proud holding Carpenter in such high regard as a representative of the game at the junior level. As Carpenter received his glass vase, the presenter stated that the golfer always showed great patience and respect.
His older brother would agree.
“Zac will definitely be impressed because he never won a big trophy like this,” Carpenter laughed. “He sees me being kind and positive with everyone else, and will definitely agree this was a good choice.”
Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com