U-32’s Bubba Chamberlain claims second straight Division II trophy, South Burlington and Harwood win team titles
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. —
The 2026 Vermont high school boys’ golf championships had a thrilling finish in the VPA Division I boys’ finals.
Essex High School’s Nick Norris and Rutland High School’s Colin Robertson were tied at 77 (+6), leading to a win-and-take-all playoff tiebreaker hole for the individual championship crown.
Norris started behind on the playoff hole, driving his first shot into the bunker, but then battled back to sink a game-winning birdie putt.
“I was quite mad that I went into the bunker to start with,” Norris said. “However, when I got to the ball, I saw that I had a great line. I just picked a spot, hit it, and then I just got it done.”
Norris’ victory marks his first-ever Vermont Principals’ Association Division I championship title in his first varsity season with Essex High School. He performed well throughout his first state championship appearance, including a hole-in-one on hole 14, his first hole-in-one.
“At that point I was like third in the standings, so getting that hole-in-one on 14 spring me to first place,” Norris said. “It was a great feeling and then just holding on the last few holes to force overtime and get the win, it was great.”
Norris and his Essex team did fall just short of a VPA Division I team championship as well. The Hornets, who earned a total score of +44, finished just nine shots short of the South Burlington Wolves, who finished with a score of +35. That was enough to help South Burlington earn their second straight VPA team championship title on the links, but Norris is pumped up knowing that he and several other Hornets’ boys’ golfers have a chance to take other team state championship wins in the future.
“We had a great day overall, but just fell short in the team event,” Norris said. “I’m excited for the next few years to show that Essex has some great golf potential.”
In the VPA’s Division II individual championship, U-32 High School’s Bubba Chamberlain earned his second straight Vermont state championship win. He outdueled Harwood High School’s Pyke Nelson by two shots, winning with an overall score of 77 (+6).
Harwood still claimed the VPA Division II team championship title, edging Middlebury Union High School by three shots with a total team score of +47. This also marked a second straight team championship win for the Highlanders.
You can see the full results from the 2026 VPA Division I and II boys’ golf championships via the Vermont Golf Association.
