Rain can’t stop youth movement at County Am

Published 10:14 pm Saturday, May 29, 2010

EVERETT — Falling raindrops often lead to rising scores, but on Saturday three youngsters shrugged off the drippy conditions to take the top three places during the first round of the 80th-annual Snohomish County Amateur golf tournament.

John Pechan, an 18-year-old senior at Bothell High School who represents Mukilteo’s Harbour Pointe Golf Club, shot a 3-under-par 69 at Legion Memorial Golf Course to be alone atop the leaderboard heading into today’s second round.

He was one stroke better than Matt Epstein of Monroe, a 21-year-old sophomore at Bellevue Community College who plays out of Everett Golf and Country Club, and Reid Martin of Mukilteo, an 18-year-old freshman at Central Florida University who also represents Everett G&CC.

Paul Pavlos from Snohomish’s Echo Falls Golf Club was the only other player to better par with a 1-under 71.

Pechan is making his County Am debut this year, though he caddied for a friend in last year’s tournament. He put together a round of five birdies and two bogeys, and credited his good score to some “really good wedge shots.”

The best of those came on the par-5, 540-yard No. 15 hole when Pechan hit his third shot from 125 yards to 1 inch for a tap-in birdie. “I thought it was going to spin back in,” he said of his near eagle, “but I was happy with (a birdie).”

Pechan, who tied for 21st at the recent Class 4A state high school golf tournament, said he was “a little crooked off the tee” and hit “some poor iron shots … but my wedges are always a real good part of my game. And the greens were really soft, so I was able to stop it by the hole.”

Saturday’s round began in a steady drizzling rain that continued unabated for most of the day. The water softened the greens, which was the good news, but also made dry grips and warm hands an ongoing concern.

“They weren’t impossible conditions, but they weren’t easy, that’s for sure,” said Epstein, who will play on the St. Martin’s University golf team next year. On a dry course “everyone in the field obviously would’ve been hitting the ball a little farther (with bounces and rolls).”

With five birdies and three bogeys, Epstein added, “I feel good about my round. Two-under on a day like this is a good place to be.”

Martin, a 2009 graduate of Kamiak High School, had six birdies and four bogeys. “Obviously the wet conditions made it tougher,” he said, so a 2-under 70 “feels great.”

Four-time County Am champion Alex Stamey from Everett G&CC, who is trying to match Bob Whisman’s record of five tournament wins, remains in contention after an even-par 72. He is in a three-way tie for fifth place that includes Jeff Strickland from Harbour Pointe, another former champ, and Lance Kilbride, also of Harbour Pointe.

Defending champion Stephen Lee from Everett G&CC rolled in a long birdie putt on No. 13 to drop to 1-under, but then gave back several strokes over the remaining holes to finish at 3-over 75. Likewise, four-time winner Todd Tibke from Snohomish Golf Course was 2-under through nine holes, but ended his day at 4-over 76.

In the second division, for golfers with handicaps from 5.1 to 11.2, Charlie Magee from Marysville’s Cedarcrest Golf Course was the low-net leader with a 65 on his home course, one stroke better than Steve Wanaka from Everett G&CC.

The third division, for golfers with handicaps from 11.3 to 20.8, also played its opening round at Cedarcrest, and Ron Sisko from Everett’s Walter Hall Golf Course was the low-net leader with a 63, one shot better than Cedarcrest’s Carl Tinglestad.

In today’s second round, the first division will be at Cedarcrest while the second and third divisions move to Everett G&CC.