Montgomery’s Drew Smith proved he could play with the big boys this week at the 54th annual Bud Burns Dixie Junior Championship at the Selma Country Club.

After the girls’ titles were handed out Tuesday, the 14-year-old Smith shot rounds of 72 and 71 Wednesday to win the boys championship by two shots over Bay Simpson, Dakota Terry and Logan Archer. The championship’s A division is usually determined between 15, 16, 17 and 18-year-olds, but Smith asked to play up so that he could attempt to qualify for the Big “I” National Championship Aug. 3-6. The Alabama Junior Golf Association website lists the Bud Burns as a qualifier for the Big “I.”

“The first round I had to focus on not thinking about what the other guys I was playing with were doing and try to score as low as I could,” Smith said. “The second round I tried to do the same until I had about three holes left. Then I’d figure out what I had to do.”

With three holes left, Smith knew he had a lead, although he wasn’t sure how big of a lead it was. He hoped to make three consecutive pars to keep his lead, but a bogey-par-par finish was more than enough.

Now his name is on the same trophy as some of golf’s all-time greats.

“It’s exciting to find out that Bubba Watson won this tournament, Stewart Cink and a bunch of guys that were on the tour,” Smith said. “It definitely makes me think that if I keep working I can get there.”

Smith started the day five shots behind Guin’s Cody Maddox, but there was plenty of golf left to be played. Unlike any other tournament on the Alabama Junior Golf Association tour, participants played 36 holes the final day.

Tommy Burns, the PGA professional with the Selma Country Club, said it’s a test of stamina for players to take on 36 holes in one day.

In temperatures of over 90 degrees, Smith passed that test with flying colors.

He shot 72 in round two to pull three behind Archer and then beat the heat by shooting his best round of the week.

He birdied the par 3 second hole and par 4 fifth and shot 33 on the front nine.

Although he wouldn’t birdie the rest of the day, he limited big numbers. Smith had only two bogeys in the final round.

Meanwhile, his main competitors couldn’t keep big scores off their card.

A double-bogey on the par 4 eleventh cost Simpson, although he bounced back with birdies on 13 and 15. Terry made double bogey on 12 and bogeyed 18 to finish two back.

Archer was unable to overcome seven final round bogeys, including a stretch where he bogeyed six of nine holes. Maddox recovered from an 80 in round two to finish fifth. He shot 71 in the final round and led the field in birdies with 10.

Huntsville’s Will Klecka won the 13-and 14-year-old age division with a final score of 146. Smith won the 14-and 15-year-old A division and Archer won the 17-and 18-year-old A division.