Marc Twombly shot a 3-under 69 at Natanis Golf Course in October to win the Class A individual state championship, despite dealing with a foot injury that makes it difficult for him to walk more than nine holes. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Marc Twombly first began to notice the pain at the start of the summer. First, it was a nuisance, just an aching in his left foot. And then the Scarborough High sophomore golfer felt it get worse.
“It really wasn’t that painful on the golf course,” he said. “(Then) throughout this July, I barely could walk after a round.”
The condition was edema, a buildup of fluid which, with Twombly, was happening in the bones of his foot. When the high school season came around, the condition had worsened, becoming, in Twombly’s words, “a shooting pain, whenever (I’d) step on it or turn the wrong way.”
The condition forced changes to how Twombly played this season. It didn’t however, hinder his results. Twombly took the Class A individual championship with a 3-under 69 at Natanis Golf Course, the only sub-par round in state championship competition this season.
The performance came after he earned medalist honors with a 76 at the SMAA qualifying tournament, and after he guided Scarborough to a 10-0 regular season. For his play, Twombly is the Varsity Maine Boys’ Golfer of the Year.
“It’s kind of unreal, because I had such a hard season,” said Twombly, who capped his season with a even-par 72 at New Englands. “It really felt great to end on a high note. I was kind of all in awe for the first week, and now that I look back on it, I’m really proud of myself that I dug deep and got it done.”
Twombly, whose father, Chris, is the head professional at Prouts Neck Country Club, had a strong freshman year but missed a chance to compete in the state tournament because of a broken wrist. He had medical issues to deal with in his sophomore season as well, as the edema forced Twombly to start wearing a walking boot in August and wrap his foot in ice after rounds. By the start of the season, he could only walk nine holes and needed a cart to finish 18.
Originally, the pain affected his swing. But Twombly, who averaged 39.4 in his regular-season matches, pushed through.
“It almost felt personal,” he said. “I didn’t get to play (last year). … This year, I felt like I had to get it done.”
In the state tournament, he did. On the Tomahawk course at Natanis, he birdied four holes and was bogey-free for the first 16 holes. From the first tee shot, he was locked in.
“My dad and I call it ‘The Zone,'” Twombly said. “I get really calm, I don’t really talk to anyone. … I don’t let anything get in my head.”
Scarborough Coach Mike Murphy complimented Twombly’s mental approach, which he said allows him to be aggressive when he can be and patient when he needs to be.
“He’s a golf course rat, and he loves the game,” he said. “He’s so ahead of his peers mentally. I’ve had some really outstanding players. For his age, his thinking around the golf course is unmatched.”
The result was a 69 that was Twombly’s best-ever score in tournament play.
“I don’t know what was happening that day,” Twombly said. “I had some thoughts like ‘Wow, I’m really low.’ But I fended those thoughts away, (and thought) ‘I’m going to make another birdie.'”
His foot hurt. But Twombly didn’t let it faze him.
“If I’m playing bad and I let it get to me, it’ll affect me,” he said. “But that state championship day, I didn’t let anything get to me.”
Twombly said doctors have told him that months of rest can help his condition improve. He’s unsure whether it will linger into next year, but hopes to be back walking.
“I hate riding in a cart,” he said. “I’m a big walker, I’m a big ‘take in the experience’ kind of guy.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
