Three years ago Dominic McCain, then a freshman at Mid-Prairie High School, averaged 55 shots a round. That was a round of nine holes.

He didn’t even make the varsity team at Mid-Prairie.

McCain chuckles about that now.

Shooting a personal-best 6-over-par 76 in a sectional qualifier in his senior season, McCain earned a spot in this week’s Class 3A state tournament to be held Thursday and Friday at Elmwood Country Club in Marshalltown.

“It’s just been something I’ve been pushing for such a long time,” McCain said. “It’s surreal that it happened.”

McCain, who enters the state tournament as an individual qualifier, was co-medalist in the 3A sectional qualifier held May 20 at Edmundson Golf Course in Oskaloosa. The top two golfers in each sectional qualified for the state tournament, so long as they weren’t part of a team that qualified as a team.

Will Simpson of Pella was the medalist with a score of 74.

McCain played his first nine holes just 1-over-par, and then scored a par on his 11th hole and a birdie on his 12th.

“I started getting a little worried,” he said. “Like, ‘Oh, wow, I’ve never really played like this before.’ “

The scores tightened, and McCain was 6-over as he began play on the par-5 ninth, his last hole of the 18-hole round. He hoped to score at least a par to remain in contention for a spot in the state tournament. The drama was high.

“I walked up to the last hole, I kind of looked around at the people who were watching,” McCain said. “I had one of my teammates who showed up there for the final four or five holes, and his older brother, Noah Schlabaugh, who went to state a couple of years back. ‘OK, I just need to go up here and play this hole the best way that I know how and just have a good time. Enjoy this last hole because this could be my last high school hole ever.’ “

It wasn’t his last high school hole ever. McCain hit two good shots, chipped onto the green with his third shot, and took two putts to nail his par.

After a half hour wait, as the other golfers completed their rounds, McCain discovered he had made the field for the state tournament.

“I felt pretty confident throughout the day,” he said. “I just got really nervous there toward the end. It’s surreal that it actually happened, that I have a chance to represent my school at state.”

“I am so happy for Dominic,” Mid-Prairie coach Kelby Bender said. “He has worked hard for this. He played really good golf today. His ball striking was excellent and he made some nice putts. I am really proud of how he stuck with it on the back nine. He had a stretch of four holes that he didn’t play the way he wanted. He held it together and made a great par on his last hole to shoot 76.”

The day began by not thinking about golf. And it worked.

“Going into the day, I’m not going to lie, I was really nervous,” McCain said. 

“I was talking to my golf coach about anything other than golf. It was unusual because I talk about golf all the time. I just went out there and just wanted to have fun. That was my main goal. If I went out to the course and had fun, maybe I’ll post a decent number. And that’s exactly what happened.”

It was a fun day for a guy who averaged 55 shots over nine holes his freshman year and who simply got better by the time his senior year rolled around.

“From 55 to 45 (sophomore year), and this year, 40? That’s a big drop,” McCain said, laughing.

A big drop indeed. Worthy of a state tournament berth.