Final Four: Kevin Lentz, Chris Owen, Mitchell Swaringen, Cam Honeycutt.

By Mike London

Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — Still eight months away from celebrating his 16th birthday, Camden “Cam” Honeycutt is the Rowan Amateur champion.

The rising sophomore at East Rowan is the youngest champion ever. This was the first time he’s been entered in the tradition-rich event at Corbin Hills that began in 1979.

Cam was amazingly consistent for five rounds of Match Play. He was never in serious trouble, never had to make any wild charges or insane shots. The biggest deficit he faced in the entire tournament was being one hole down.

Cam’s father, Ryan, also won the tournament when he was in high school. In all, Ryan won it three times, with the first of those victories coming in 1997. He also won in 2001 and 2009.

Mom Meredith Honeycutt keeps Cam updated on his father’s accomplishments. The bar is set high, but Cam might surpass all of it.

“Going into the tournament as the 8 seed, I thought I could g0 pretty deep in the bracket, but I was just out there playing golf,” Cam said. “It didn’t really hit me until the championship match that I had a real chance to win the tournament. Then everything worked out and I did win it.”

Cam’s first match on Friday was a breeze, but there were no routine ones after that. He took on a who’s who of Rowan golf. Most people would have lost to William Little in the second round because the long-driving Little, a Labor Day Four-Ball champ not long ago, played some outstanding golf.

“I holed out for an eagle on No. 4,” Cam said. “I made the turn at 5-under and really didn’t realize I was that low because Will was playing so well. There were quite a few holes when we both birdied, but I finally got the lead and I kept it.”

Cam took on Keith Dorsett, one of the legends of local golf in a Saturday afternoon quarterfinal. Dorsett was the No. 1 seed as he won the tournament in 2024. There was no tournament last summer due to course renovations.

Dorsett won his first Rowan Amateur in 2007 before Cam was born and, in all, has won the event five times.

“I didn’t play as well as I did against Will Little,” Cam said. “Keith and I were still even after nine, but I finally won a hole and got the lead. I remember Keith won 13. We were even going to 16. That’s where I chipped in for a birdie to go back ahead. Then I won 18 to win 2-up.”

In his semifinal match with Kevin Lentz, who has been a frequent runner-up in the Rowan Amateur, Cam was again deadlocked with his opponent at the turn, but he won 10 and 11 to take control of the match.

In the other semifinal, Mitchell Swaringen, a recent winner in the Grady B. Four-Ball Tournament at McCanless, got past Chris Owen, the 2024 Rowan Masters winner, in a match that required 19 holes. To get to the final, Mitchell also had to eliminate Michael Swaringen, his brother and the qualifying medalist.

The championship match was brisk and back-and-forth. Not surprisingly, it also was well-played.

“Well, we played that front nine in 50 minutes,” Cam said. “We both made 20-foot putts on No. 2. He gave me one hole early and then I gave him one back. I birdied 5, but he birdied 6. Back and forth. We were still even after nine.”

The drama increased with a lightning delay coming down the stretch.

Cam briefly went 2-up with a birdie on 16, but Swaringen came right back with a birdie to take 17 and push the match to the pressure-packed 18th.

“Mitchell missed a birdie putt to tie on 18, that would have sent it to extra holes,” Cam said. “I just had to two-putt for par to win.”

Cam recounts the play-by-play from the three days  matter-of-factly, but it was an epic tournament march he made and it was played in some of the year’s worst heat and humidity.

“I know I’m exhausted,” he said. “I don’t know how those 50-year olds were able to do what they did.”

Cam’s  historic triumph came on the 17th anniversary of his father’s third Rowan Amateur title in 2009. Ryan made a hole-in-one on No. 2 on his way to winning that event.

While Cam recently made the second ace of his career just a week ago while winning an event in Greensboro, he didn’t make any aces in this year’s Rowan Amateur.

He’ll no doubt make some more as he continues to chase his dad, six-time champion Rowan Amateur champ Nick Lyerly – and history.

Cam never stops playing for long. He’s got a qualifier coming up for the Dogwood State Junior Boys.

Then he’ll play in the Hope Valley Junior Invitational in Durham. That will be four days of world-class junior golf.

“That’s a really big one,” Cam said. “Invites only, the best of the best. I can’t wait to compete.”

Rowan Amateur champions
1979 — Mallory McDaniel (1st)
1980 — Gerald Staton (1st)
1981 — Junior Rabon (1st)
1982 — David Bogedain (1st)
1983 — Gary Miller (1st)
1984 — John Henderlite (1st)
1985 — John Henderlite (2nd)
1986 — Gary Keating (1st)
1987 — Gary Miller (2nd)
1988 — Gary Miller (3rd)
1989 — Junior Rabon (2nd)
1990 — Randy Bingham (1st)
1991 — Richard Cobb (1st)
1992 — Gary Miller (4th)
1993 — Randy Bingham (2nd)
1994 — Todd Johnson (1st)
1995 — Gary Miller (5th)
1996 — Gary Miller (6th)
1997 — Ryan Honeycutt (1st)
1998 — Thad Sprinkle (1st)
1999 — Dusty Holder (1st)
2000 — Tommy Trexler (1st)
2001 — Ryan Honeycutt (2nd)
2002 — Adam Jordan (1st)
2003 — Mallory McDaniel (2nd)
2004 — Randy Bingham (3rd)
2005 — Jon Allen (1st)
2006 — Randy Bingham (4th)
2007 — Keith Dorsett (1st)
2008 — Ronnie Eidson (1st)
2009 — Ryan Honeycutt (3rd)
2010 — Ronnie Eidson (2nd)
2011 — Ronnie Eidson (Shane Benfield, ruunner-up), 3rd title
2012 — Keith Dorsett(Ronnie Eidson), 2nd title
2013 — Andrew Morgan (Ronnie Eidson), 1st title
2014 — Eric Mulkey (Nick Lyerly), 1st title
2015 — Nick Lyerly (Eric Mulkey), 1st title
2016 — Keith Dorsett (Kevin Lentz), 3rd title
2017 — Keith Dorsett (Nick Lyerly), 4th title
2018 – Nick Lyerly (Kevin Lentz), 2nd title
2019 — Nick Lyerly (Kevin Lentz), 3rd title
2020 — Nick Lyerly (Kevin Lentz), 4th title
2021 — Nick Lyerly (Keith Dorsett), 5th title
2022 — Nick Lyerly (Keith Dorsett), 6th title
2023 — Shane Benfield (Keith Dorsett), 1st title
2024 — Keith Dorsett (Shane Benfield), 5th title
2025 – No tournament (renovations)
2026 – Cam Honeycutt (Mitchell Swaringen), 1st title