Athlete Of The Week: Oliver Smith

MASHPEE – Twice last week Nauset junior Oliver Smith entered a competition against some of the state’s top golfers.

Twice he emerged as the best among them.

Smith claimed two postseason individual wins in the span of three days. He started with a 3-over 75 — the best score of 100 individuals — at the Division 2 South Sectional tournament Oct. 21 at Segregansett Country Club.

Then, Smith dominated at the Cape and Islands High School Golf Championship held Friday at Willowbend Country Club, lapping the field with a 71 — four shots less than anyone else — and helping clinch the team win for Nauset.

“When the lights have been brightest, he's played his best time and time again this year,” Nauset head coach Brian Hicks said.

Willowbend is a difficult course, and the atmosphere was swirling Friday. But Smith hit knockdown shots to keep under the wind, he said, and only played a single bad hole — the tournament’s hardest one.

“I started my day topping my first drive and made birdie and just never looked back after that,” Smith said. “Yeah, it was a good day.”

Smith was the only non-senior to serve in the Warriors’ state final lineup last year at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown. He said he’s learned a lot from, and followed in the footsteps of, elite former Nauset golfers like Jack Martin and Max St. Aubin.

He had been playing all summer but never won. The top postseason finishes last week, then, felt like a breakthrough.

“I knew all season what I'm capable of, and I just hadn't put it together,” Smith said.

Sophomore Hudson Cole said playing with Smith all year had “been insane.”

“He’s just taken a huge step this year and only [will] get better next year,” Cole said. “So watch out, rest of the Cape.”