Not a lot of Maine golfers get opportunities to play professionally. Austen Truslow of Islesboro is one of the rare exceptions, because he has figured it out.

Although he is only a seasonal Mainer, Truslow, now 23, played a lot of summer golf as a youngster at the Tarratine Club on Islesboro. He wintered in the south, where his family resides in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Truslow won Maine State Golf Association junior championships in 2011 and 2012. In Florida, he was a member of two high school state championship teams in 2011 and 2014.

He left the University of Virginia in 2015 to become a pro. He was the Dakotas Tour’s Player of the Year”in 2016, earning $16,192.50 in seven events after having won $6,271.65 in 2015 during his initial Dakotas season.

In 2017 and 2018, he played the Dakotas Tour, Florida Elite Tour and Florida Pro Tour. He could not recall his earnings for 2017 but said that in 2018, he won more than $50,000.

This year, Truslow is listed as a PGA Mackenzie Tour player, but actually has been on the Asian Tour for nine events cashing $5,247 in prize money. He currently is in Islesboro on a four-week rest, after which he will head to Indonesia for two Asian Tour events. That season will run into December.

“I am grateful to be in Maine,” he said of the fact that he has been in “Vacationland” every year of his life, and one summer got to play in a foursome of four generations of Truslows, with his father, Peter Truslow, grandfather, Godfrey Truslow, and great-grandmother, Rebecca Tompkins.

Also in 2019, he has been in four PGA Tour events, missing the cut at the John Deere Classic, Rocket Mortgage Classic and the Honda Classic. He did have a PGA Tour career payday Feb. 24 when he tied for 10th place at the Puerto Rico Open held at the Coco Beach Golf & Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, where he picked up $66,500, the largest purse of his career.

“I had some familiarity with that course,” he said of having been there in the 2014 Puerto Rico Open and earlier in life as an AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) player.

In 2018, he participated in the Birdies for Charity and raised $5,000 for the Dave Thomas Foundation, which helps foster children.

Of his globetrotter golf career he said: “Every week you have transition. Time zones, language, climate and diet.”

No doubt, that is why he is so appreciative of his laid-back time in Maine.

*****

At the Maine State Golf Association Junior Championships last week, Mia Hornberger of Turner Highlands captured the overall and 13-15 girls titles by shooting 79-76—155 at Val Halla. Morghan Dutil of Turner Highlands (89-94—183) was second in the 13-15 division of the event.

Ruby Haylock of Turner Highlands (81-82—163) finished second in the girls 16-18 division.

*****

The MSGA men’s tournament schedule for the week includes the B and C Championship at Brunswick on Aug. 7-8, and the Weekend Tour Aug. 9-10 at Turner Highlands.

For the women, the Janet Drouin Memorial is Aug. 6 at Natanis.

Bill Kennedy, a retired New Jersey golf writer and editor, now residing on Thompson Lake in Otisfield, is in his seventh season as Sun Journal golf columnist.

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