By Ronnie Gallagher

sports@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Logan Shuping.

Remember that name, please. He’s only a freshman but he has burst onto the county golf scene quickly.
On Tuesday, East Rowan’s diaper dandy won the Rowan County Golf Championships at Corbin Hills, beating West Rowan’s Jake Kennedy on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Both had 73s in regulation to earn co-medalist honors.
“A 73 as a freshman is stout,” praised Kennedy, a talented junior. “He’s short and straight. He’s so consistent.”
They call Kennedy “Big Jake” for a reason. His 340-yard tee shot on his first hole led to a birdie.
“It was an adrenaline rush right off the bat,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shuping, playing one group ahead of Kennedy, bogeyed his first two holes. But he didn’t crack, pleasing East Rowan coach Rhett Teems.
“I thought with him being a freshman and being thrown right into the fire, he’d experience some type of intimidation,” Teems said. “He hasn’t been intimidated at all. He has done it with steady, solid play.”
In fact, Shuping rebounded to stand 1-under at one point, but admitted sheepishly, “I was nervous when I was 1-under. “I could hardly hold the club.”
The nervousness led to three straight late bogeys, putting Kennedy up by two. But showing the poise of a veteran, Shuping birdied his last hole, forcing a tie.
“He doesn’t get rattled,” Teems said.
Shuping and Kennedy headed to the first hole for the playoff and it didn’t take long.
Kennedy teed off first and blasted a shot out of bounds.
“That completely changed my mindset,” Shuping noted.
So, while Kennedy finished with a six, Shuping relaxed and made par, becoming a Rowan champion.
“He’s not as long as Jake or Davis (Richards of South Rowan),” Teems said, “but he makes up for it with his short game around the green.”
“It feels good,” Shuping said. “I didn’t really expect to be here as a freshman.
“But I’m not going to complain.”
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NOTES: Shuping, by the way, is leading the North Piedmont Conference in scoring. … Kennedy knows the thrill of being a diaper dandy. He was all-county as a freshman as well. … “I’m satisfied with my 73,” Kennedy said. “But (golf’s) like the weather. One minute good. One minute bad.”