Coleman, Benzel among Snohomish natives teeing off Monday in Washington Open
Published 10:49 pm Sunday, May 17, 2009
A field of 168 golfers, including several from Snohomish County, will tee off today in the 83rd annual Washington Open Invitational at Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent.
Among the area players entered are Keith Coleman of Mukilteo’s Harbour Pointe Golf Club, a two-time state open champion, and Ryan Benzel, a teaching pro at Marysville’s Battle Creek Golf Course, who was the Pacific Northwest Section PGA Player of the Year in 2008 and finished fourth at last year’s tournament.
Coleman, the head superintendent and an assistant pro at Harbour Pointe, won the state open as a pro in 2004 at Meridian Valley CC. He also won at Tacoma Country and Golf Club as an amateur in 1997.
Also on hand will be the winners of the past three state opens — 2008 champ Brian Nosler of the Vanco Driving Range in Vancouver, 2007 winner Tim Feenstra of Seattle’s Broadmoor Golf Club, and Josh Immordino of Kent’s Riverbend Golf Complex, the 2006 champion.
Representing Snohomish County this year in addition to Coleman and Benzel are Harbour Pointe’s Mark Rashell, Joe Puetz, Jeff Neely (amateur) and Lance Kilbride (amateur); Alex Stamey of Everett Golf and Country Club (amateur); Daniel Lesnett of Lynnwood Golf Course (amateur); and Caleb Kraus and Kevin McElmeran (amateur) of Snohomish’s Echo Falls Golf Club.
The championship rounds tee off at 7:30 this morning. The 54-hole event continues Tuesday, with the field being cut for Wednesday’s final round.
