Winning the 39th-annual Dugan Aycock Davidson County Amateur was nothing new for Michael Swaringen.
The Salisbury native had already won the championship five times — including last year — before adding a sixth title on Sunday at Lexington Golf Club.
The 44-year-old Swaringen shot 3-under-par 68 despite a late double-bogey for a 3-under 139 total and a two-stroke victory over Kernersville’s Chase McLaughlin.
Well, at least Swaringen had some new competition this year. McLaughlin, a rising junior at Winston-Salem State University making his debut in the tournament, held a three-shot lead over Swaringen as the two made the turn.
By then, former West Davidson High standout Nic Lamberth and former Livingstone College player Colline Ajirda, the other members of the final foursome, had fallen off the pace. Catawba College player Connor Carter was third at 144 and Lamberth was fourth at 145. Ajirda shot 78 for 150.
“At the turn it was pretty much a two-man race — at least in my mind,” said Swaringen.
That’s when the tide turned. McLaughlin began the back with three straight bogeys. Swaringen made birdie at 10, cutting the deficit to a single shot.
The momentum swung back and forth down the stretch. Swaringen made birdies at 14 and 15 to grab a three-shot lead with three holes to play, but scraped his way to double-bogey on 16, allowing McLaughlin to close the margin to a single shot.
Swaringen landed a knockout blow at 17, chipping in for birdie from just short of the green for birdie and a two-stroke advantage. Both players parred the par-5 18th.
“It was a good round of golf,” Swaringen said his performance other than his troubles at 16.
McLaughlin, who shot 69 Saturday to take the a two-shot lead into the final round, quickly extended the lead to three Sunday when Swaringen made bogey on the first hole. He made birdies on the par-5 fifth and eighth, and shot 73.
Players didn’t use scoring apps either day, so the only scores they knew were in their foursomes.
“You try to go out and try to beat the golf course,” said McLaughlin. “I noticed today that I played a little defensive.”
Swaringen’s wild round included six birdies, including a 40-foot putt on 15 and the chip-in at 17 — to overcome the bogey and double-bogey.
Though he qualified for every tournament this spring on a WSSU team that made the NCAA Division II Regionals, McLaughlin said he struggled through the season, mostly with his putting, which wasn’t a big problem at Lexington.
“This tournament showed that my putting is better,” he said. “It’s good to see the work paid off.”
Buck Hall of Thomasville successfully defended his Senior title, shooting 76 for a 2-over 144 total and a five-shot victory.
The field, which started with 74 players, played lift, clean and place in the final round.
