At Snohomish County Amateur, Stamey going for rare feat

Published 11:32 pm Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Alex Stamey will tee off in the 79th annual Snohomish County Amateur golf tournament this weekend knowing he has a possible date with history.

Make that a double date.

With a victory in this year’s tournament, the 45-year-old Stamey will tie two County Am legends. A win would be the fifth of Stamey’s career, equaling Bob Whisman’s record for the most in County Am history.

Also, Stamey will be aiming for his third straight victory, which would match the mark held by Bob Burton.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Stamey, who lives in Mill Creek and represents Everett Golf and Country Club. Having the chance to share both records “has been on my mind since I won last year.”

Stamey moved to Snohomish County in 1996 and played in his first County Am the next year. His initial victory came in 2000, and he followed with championships in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

And if he could win again this year, he would accomplish something truly historic — twice.

Whisman, who went on to become the head pro at Everett’s Legion Memorial and Walter E. Hall golf courses, won the County Am in 1952, 1954, 1955, 1961 and 1964. Since then, just three golfers — Jeff Knudson, Todd Tibke and Stamey — have managed four tournament victories.

Burton’s feat is equally historic. Since the County Am began in 1931, 17 golfers have won back-to-back titles. But Burton is the only person to win three in a row, which he achieved in 1973, 1974 and 1975.

“I would love to tie Mr. Whisman,” Stamey said. “Obviously tying that record would be a big deal and I’ve been thinking about that a lot. But this is also a chance to tie a good friend of mine, Bob Burton. That would also be very special.”

Still, for all the history at hand, Stamey says he’s not the favorite in this year’s tournament. He gives that distinction to Jake Koppenburg of Everett G&CC, who recently completed an All-American career at Western Washington University and also advanced through U.S. Open local qualifying to sectional qualifying last week. Koppenberg has a +1.9 handicap, tied for second-low in the field.

“On paper, without a doubt, he’s the player to beat,” said Stamey, who has a 0.5 handicap. “But we still have to tee it up and go play. (Young players like Koppenburg) are still going to have to hit the ball in hole, just like the rest of us do, and that’s why golf is such a great game.”

When it comes to driving distance, Stamey knows he’s at a disadvantage to some of the tournament’s big hitters. That is particularly true for Saturday’s opening round at spacious Legion Memorial Golf Course in Everett, though perhaps less so for Sunday’s second round at Marysville’s Cedarcrest Golf Course and Monday’s final round at Everett G&CC, which are both shorter, tighter courses.

“With those guys, I’m giving up 80 yards on the driver,” he said. “But obviously with two of the courses we’re playing, Everett (G&CC) and Cedarcrest, those aren’t courses where the driver comes in to great advantage. At Legion it does, but at Everett and Cedarcrest it’s more about accuracy, and that’s why I can compete.

“Hopefully I can still hit it straight,” he said, “and not make mistakes that others might with the driver.”

To win the County Am, Stamey will have to fend off challenges from the county’s amateur elite. A field of around 120 golfers will be on hand, including seven with plus handicaps and 31 with handicaps of 3.0 or better.

The low handicapper in the field is Matt Epstein of Everett G&CC, who plays on the golf team at Bellevue Community College and boasts a +3.3 handicap.

Tibke, who represents Snohomish Golf Course, is looking to snag his fifth win to go with victories in 1987, 1988, 1999 and 2001. Like Koppenberg, Tibke has a +1.9 handicap.

Burton, who plays out of Mukilteo’s Harbour Pointe Golf Club, is still very much a contender more than 30 years after his three consecutive wins. He has a +1.5 handicap.

Reid Martin of Everett G&CC has a +1.1 handicap, Mill Creek Country Club’s Paul Bonorden is at +0.4 and Daniel Lesnett of Lynnwood Golf Course is at +0.1.

Stamey, Tibke and Burton are three of four past champions in this year’s field. The fourth is Jeff Strickland of Harbour Pointe, who won in 1996 and is one of three Stricklands entered this year. He is joined by his father Stan Strickland, who represents Snohomish, and son Mark Strickland, who is from Harbour Pointe. All three will be in the first division, which is for golfers with handicaps of 4.9 or better.

The second division, for golfers with handicaps between 5.1 and 10.7, and the third division, for those with handicaps of 10.8 and higher, will play the first round at Cedarcrest, moved to Everett G&CC for the second round, and play the final round at Legion Memorial.