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Rob Bergevin comes from a golfing family and a nudge from his late grandfather propelled him to compete at the next level.

In a sport where a subpar score is actually a positive outcome, the Washington native is on the right course.

The Pam Pack junior has won the majority of his high school matches, but two losses serve as motivation to keep improving.

He fired a 76 at a recent match at the Farmville County Club, but an opponent from the host school was two shots better.

Last spring, he picked the East regional to have his worst score of the season, an 81, and missed out on his first state tournament appearance.

“It just makes me work harder,” Bergevin said. “We didn’t have a state meet my freshman year because of COVID-19 and it was very disappointing to not make it last year. I’m glad I have competition in the conference this year because it pushes me to keep improving.”

Bergevin grew up around golf as his dad, Daniel and grandfather Ray, took him along when they played at the Washington Yacht and County Club. Daniel graduated from Appalachian State and that gives Rob something to shoot for.

“I’d love to play somewhere in college and App St. would be a great fit,” he said. “Boone is a great town and their course is really nice. I always played around with clubs when I was younger and started playing when I was 10. I started taking it seriously when I was 12.”

Like most athletically inclined youngsters, Bergevin tried several sports. Football, basketball and soccer were his favorites, but his enthusiasm waned as he grew. Baseball wasn’t his game either, so golf became something to in the summer with his dad and grandpa.

“My first eagle did it for me, he said. “It was on the ninth hole at WYCC and I was about 125 yards out. I used an 8-iron and the ball hit the front of the green, kept rolling and dropped into the cup. I ran down the fairway yelling and have been all in since that point.”

Going all in from a golf standpoint means a commitment to travel to multiple youth tournaments, almost daily practice and hiring private coaches to fine tune the details that lead to success.

“I love being out on the course by myself or with my teammates because it’s different every day,” Bergevin said. “WYCC is my home course and I know just about everybody out here because I see them every day. The wind is different, the angles are different and the course never seems to play the same way. I appreciate the commitment my family has made to help me and it doesn’t seem like work because I enjoy it.”

Bergevin follows the professional tour and likes Tiger Woods for his mental strength and enjoys watching Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth compete. A trip to the 2017 Masters allowed him to watch his heroes in person.

“It looks great on TV, but the course is awesome in person,” he said. “I like the way Tiger Woods lets nothing get to him. Bad shots happen and he bounces right back. I’m working on that.”

A turning point happened in early November of 2020. His grandfather, Ray, had just passed away, and Rob was competing in the WYCC club tournament.

“He and his grandad were very close and he (Ray) used to walk the course with Rob,” Kozuch said. “Rob asked me to walk with him on the second day and he was on fire. He shot the round of his life to win the tournament and hugged his dad on the 18^th green. I know his grandad was with him that day.”

Bergevin is a National Honor Society member with a 4.4 GPA and is interested in criminal justice and perhaps law school.