For the Hillsdale College men's golf team and its lone graduating senior, Sutton Dunwoodie, the 2019-20 season didn't play out as hoped.
After a promising start, the Chargers and Dunwoodie (Alpharetta, GA/Cambridge) saw the season brought to an abrupt close at the halfway point by the Covid-19 pandemic, and without getting a chance to participate in the big end of season conference and regional championships the squad had been working toward since the fall.
But while it didn't end the way Dunwoodie expected, it doesn't mean that the effort and work he put in over the last four years was wasted.
Dunwoodie came to Hillsdale as part of a three-player class in 2016 that included Ryan Zetwick and George Roberts, who are both returning for a fifth year this fall.
The Georgia native played in nine events for the Chargers in his career, finishing with an 18-hole score average of 79.4 strokes.
He steadily improved as his career went on, posting his best event scores (154 at the 2019 Findlay Spring Invite and 149 at the 2019 Saginaw Valley St. Spring Invite) and his lowest 18-hole round (74 at the 2019 SVSU Invite) in the final two events he played in as a Charger.
In a sport often thought of as an individual pursuit, Dunwoodie proved to be a true team player at Hillsdale, leading by example and fulfilling whatever role he was needed in for the Chargers' success over the past four years.
Off the course, Dunwoodie was an excellent student at Hillsdale College, posting a 3.5 or better GPA throughout his time here, and also was active on campus, working part time in the office of Hillsdale College president Larry P. Arnn, participating in the Dow Journalism Program and interning in Washington D.C. last semester with online publication The Hill.
"In the brief time I was able to spend around Sutton, it was clear that he is a very hard worker and leads by example," Hillsdale men's golf coach Matt Thompson said. "Sutton is a smart young man and I have no doubt he will succeed in whatever avenue he chooses to pursue."
Dunwoodie will graduate summa cum laude in the spring with a major in political economy, and a minor in journalism and plans to attend law school at the University of Florida on a merit scholarship in the fall.
Hillsdale College thanks Sutton Dunwoodie for his achievements in the last four years, and will be forever grateful for his contributions to both the men's golf program and the College at large. We wish him the best of luck as he moves forward into what is sure to be a bright future.
Photo: Sutton Dunwoodie