This time Kamiak’s Strickland wins golf playoff

Published 11:54 pm Tuesday, May 18, 2010

EVERETT — It was almost deja vu for Kamiak senior Mark Strickland at the 4A District 1 boys golf meet Tuesday at Everett Golf and Country Club.

However, unlike the outcome of the April Dolan Invitational when he lost a playoff to Shorewood’s Max McKinley on the first hole when McKinley chipped in for birdie, this time he escaped.

Strickland shot back-to-back rounds of 74 to finish at 4-over, 148 for the two-day tournament. Also finishing at 148 were Jackson’s Trent Livingstone and Connor Miele to force a three-way playoff.

Strickland hit three wood on the 398-yard, par-4 first hole right down the center of the fairway and followed with a 7-iron approach that left him about 25 feet from the hole. Meanwhile, Livingstone hit into the right rough and clipped a tree with his second shot leaving him short of the green and Miele’s second shot rolled through the green into the rough at the back leaving himself a difficult chip.

“Once I saw (Miele) there on the back rough, I just thought if he chips in it’s just a nightmare,” Strickland said laughing.

Instead, both Livingstone and Miele were unable to get up and down for par while Strickland two-putted for par to secure the playoff win to become district champion.

Livingstone later edged out Miele for second.

Kamiak and Jackson once again battled for team honors. In the end, Jackson led with five state qualifiers to Kamiak’s three.

The day belonged to Strickland, though. Playing a round which he termed “boring,” he started the 17th hole at 4-over for the day believing he was out of it.

“I didn’t think all of the leaders would be doing worse than 148,” said Strickland.

Yet he closed out with two birdies — his only two of the day — on the par-4 17th and 18th to put himself in the playoff.

“The main goal was just to go to state,” said Strickland. “District champion is just a bonus.”

And now his focus turns to the state tournament at Canyon Lakes in Kennewick.

“A realistic goal for me is top three but my main goal is to win it,” said Strickland.

At Everett Golf and Country Club

State qualifiers—Mark Strickland (Kamiak) 148, Trent Livingstone (Jackson) 148, Connor Miele (Jackson) 148, Eric McCabe (Kamiak) 150, Kyle Cornett (Jackson) 150, Max McKinley (Shorewood) 150, Anthony Chiarelli (Cascade) 153, Anthony Allen (Arlington) 154, Judd Ford (Oak Harbor) 154, David Won (Jackson) 154, Barrett McGinnis (Jackson) 155, Chris Babcock (Shorewood) 155, Chris Yun (Kamiak) 157 and Brandon Heise (Arlington) 157. Brandon Hill (Kamiak) won a three-way playoff between between all Kamiak golfers at 159 to become the state alternate.