Morning Sentinel
HIGH SCHOOL GOLF: Shawn Keenan named Sentinel golfer of the year
BY TRAVIS LAZARCZYK
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 11/28/2008

BY TRAVIS LAZARCZYK

Staff Writer

Shawn Keenan's defining moment on the golf course didn't come in the state individual golf championships, where he shot a 73 to tie for his second straight Class C state title.

It didn't come in any of the regular season matches leading up to the championship, nor did it come in any of the junior events he played in during the summer.

In July, Keenan played in his first Maine Amateur. At the end of day one at Biddeford-Saco Country Club, the Carrabec High School senior was in third place. While he fell back a little on day two, Keenan still made the cut and finished the tournament tied for 14th.

That set the stage for the rest of his year.

"It showed me where I can play," Keenan said.

For his efforts, Shawn Keenan has been named the Morning Sentinel Golfer of the Year for the second year in a row. Madison's Seth and Zack Sweet, who placed third and fourth, respectively, in the Class C state meet, also were considered.

Last year, Keenan learned how to handle the pressure that comes with being one of the favorites in a tournament. This year, Keenan said he continued to work on his mental approach.

A bad hole used to grind away at him. Now, Keenan knows he has the talent to shake it off and focus on the next hole.

"I didn't get frustrated as much," Keenan said. "I know I can just make it up on another hole."

Keenan cited an early-season match in which he found himself two down after four holes. He won the match by not stewing on what had happened and focusing on his next shot.

"I just said I have to get moving here," Keenan said.

"Shawn's always had the shots," added Heath Cowan, who coaches the Carrabec and Madison golf teams. "His course management just got better and better. ... He puts a lot of time in over the summer. He's a kid who plays a lot of golf."

Playing in his first Maine Am, Keenan finished the tournament with a three-day total of 224. He followed up his first-day 70 with a 79 on day two and a 75 in his final round. A few weeks before the tournament, Keenan played in a junior event at Biddeford-Saco.

He shot a 72 in that tournament to finish fourth, so he wasn't surprised when he played well on the first day of the Maine Am.

"I was nervous, especially on the second day," Keenan said. "I knew I'm good enough to play with those guys. It definitely helped me."

Keenan was a member of the Maine team that finished fourth in August at the New England Junior Invitational Championships at Middletown, R.I. Zach Sweet also played for team Maine, and playing with and against Zack and Seth all summer at Lakewood, their home course, and at practice in the fall, has also improved Keenan's game.

"That's the neat part of coming to practice. It's not like (Keenan) is the best guy on his team. He and Zack and Seth push each other to get better," Cowan said.

Seth Sweet and Keenan were paired with each other at the state individual championships.

"We push each other a lot," Keenan said.

Technically speaking, Keenan thinks his putting improved the most this year. He worked at Sugarloaf Golf Course in the summer, and when he had any spare time, he was putting.

"Before or after work, all I did was putt," Keenan said.

Keenan plans to study golf management in college, and has two schools at the top of his list, Methodist College of Fayetteville, N.C., and Viterbo University in LaCrosse, Wis.

Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

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