Jayden Dudas didn’t expect his first year of collegiate golf would be so successful.
Dudas, a first year power engineering student at Medicine Hat College who graduated from the Estevan Comprehensive School in 2020, earned a number of accolades and championships this fall, the most recent of which was a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association men’s national championship.
The tournament was held from Oct. 13-15 in Windsor, Ont.
Dudas finished with a three-round total of 211, which was 2-under-par, and three strokes ahead of his nearest competitor.
He was also named a tournament all-star, and the Rattlers won the bronze medal in the team event.
Dudas was previously named the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Male Golfer of the Year and the Male Golf Rookie of the Year.
“I had no idea that it was going to be this good,” Dudas told the Mercury. “I was playing good golf coming into the year. I knew it was possible, I knew I could win if I played well, but I didn’t know it would actually happen.”
At nationals, Dudas shot a two-over par 73 in the first round, and was 1-over-par through 15 holes in the second round. But then he birdied the 16th and 18th holes in the second round to finish with a 1-under-par 70, and sit at 1-over for the tournament.
His final round was the best. Dudas birdied the third, seventh and eighth holes for a 33 on the front nine, and then had a 35 on the back nine, to shoot a 3-under-par 68.
“I was hitting the ball really good. I was driving the ball good, I was hitting my irons good and I was hitting my wedges pretty good,” said Dudas.
The only issue he had during the weekend was his putting.
“I could have been 10 shots lower if I could have made more putts inside of eight feet. I was hitting the ball so well when I was out there.”
After strong winds for the first round, the course conditions improved for the second and third rounds.
The tournament was shortened by a day because the final round was rained out.
“The course was already pretty wet the first three days. You’d get mud balls in the fairway and the course was soft. It rained all night after the third round and then it downpoured the whole fourth day. I think I got pretty lucky with the rain,” said Dudas.
Golfers from Ontario and Quebec were particularly strong, he said, and some of the Quebec golfers will be competing at the NCAA Division 1 level in the future.
Dudas decided to join Medicine Hat because of the power engineering program, and because his close friend Colby Friedrich was going there and would be part of the golf team. Friedrich hails from North Battleford.
He praised Rattlers coach Dillon Batsel for his leadership this season.
“He’s probably one of the best guys on and off the course. He’s just really good,” said Dudas. “He’s almost like an idol. All the players have a really good relationship with him. He’s just a really good guy.”
Taking a year off to decide what he wanted to do proved to be the best decision.
“I think I needed some more experience in the workforce to kick-start things and decide what I wanted to do. I wanted to get into trades, and that’s what I did.”
Dudas was a long-time member of the junior golf program at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course, and was also part of the junior golf program at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club, winning multiple provincial titles.
“I couldn’t thank the people down at Woodlawn enough. Amanda (head pro and general manager Amanda Minchin) and them, they’ve been a great support, and they’ve always been there.”
