WATERSMEET — Rock Mid Peninsula’s Christian VanDamme is only a sophomore, yet he came into Wednesday’s Upper Peninsula Division 3 Final with two past runner-up finishes at this golf tournament.

He made the top five as a seventh grader before shooting an impressive 76 as an eighth grader to finish second behind his brother Bradly. Last year, he had a seven-hole lead going into the back nine, but couldn’t hold off Powers North Central’s Nathan Pipkorn.

“I’ve definitely been putting too much pressure on myself the last couple years,” VanDamme said. “So I just kind of played free today.”

It translated into a first-place finish this time, while carding a 75.

“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s a lot nicer than losing, I’ll tell you that.”

Big Bay de Noc’s Parker Pederson carded a 78 to finish second.

Pipkorn finished with an 81 this year to tie for sixth individually with North Dickinson’s Richard Haney.

Lake Linden won the team competition comfortably, 321-354 over runner-up Big Bay de Noc. Ontonagon took third with Wakefield-Marenisco fourth and Bessemer fifth.

North Dickinson placed seventh as a team at 409 as Jason Graham carded a 96. Mason Florenski contributed a 111 and Brady Jungwirth a 121.

North Central didn’t have enough golfers to qualify a team score. James Joseph shot 100 and Jacob Plunger came in at 110 for the Jets.

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The Daily News contributed.