STARKVILLE — Starkville senior Watkins Dumas didn’t really intend to continue his golfing career at the next level.
A leader as an upperclassman and one of the better golfers for the Yellow Jackets, it looked like Dumas would stop playing competitively in high school, but an opportunity came his way he simply couldn’t pass up.
“The coach reached out to me early last year,” Dumas said. “I had my mind set that I wasn’t going to play golf, and then I went up there and they blew my mind.”
Dumas took a trip to Fulton to visit Itawamba Community College, where he said the coaching staff, roster and facilities were top-notch and enough to make him rethink his decision and eventually commit to playing golf there.
He made his commitment official Friday, signing his National Letter of Intent to play at ICC.
“The ultimate team player,” Starkville head coach Sam Bryant said. “He’s a Yellow Jacket through and through. Whatever’s in-season, he’s going to support. … He’s consistent. He doesn’t let it get to his head. Good shot, bad shot, it’s always just the next shot.”
Bryant raved about Dumas’ play from tee to green, someone who had length off his driver, could stick it with an iron and had a strong putting stroke when he was on.
Unfortunately, during his senior season, Dumas’ main putter broke, forcing him to get a new one.
“When I got my headspace right, I was good and ready to go,” Dumas said. “Golf is 99 percent mental for me, and when I figured it out and I found a good group of guys to play around, it helped make me shine.”
His absence from the team and the school will be felt next year, as Dumas, an avid supporter of Jackets athletics, attended more than a few Starkville sporting events
His signing, though, is another step in the upward trajectory for Starkville golf as more Yellow Jackets find success in high school and beyond.
“Golf is a growing sport,” Dumas said. “We’ve got some young guys here that are going to be very good. … This is only going to help to say, ‘You can do it from a school that doesn’t really have players who go play college golf.’”
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