EVERETT — The stormy weather made for possibly the worst conditions in tournament history.
But through it all, Kamiak’s sophomore sensation remained unfazed.
Alvin Kwak shot a 3-under-par 69 to win the 16th annual Tom Dolan Memorial Invitational by five strokes Monday on a rainy, blustery afternoon at Everett Golf and Country Club.
“You’ve got to be mentally tough (with) that kind of weather,” Knights coach Vic Alinen said. “He focuses even more intensely when the times get tougher, so you’ve got to love that about the kid. … Alvin was spectacular in that weather.”
Kwak, who tied for ninth place in the Class 4A state tournament last spring, battled through the worst of the frigid afternoon’s rain and wind gusts while shooting 3-under par on the front nine.
“A couple years ago, it was torrential rain,” Alinen said. “But with that wind, that’s a whole different deal. Never, ever, in the history of this (event) have we had that kind of weather.”
Then as the clouds parted later in the afternoon, Kwak closed with an even-par back nine to cruise to victory in an event that featured 23 schools and 101 golfers.
“This is a big event with a lot of teams, so I’m really happy about this,” Kwak said. “I just paid attention to the wind and noticed that the rain is going to affect the ball by making it go shorter.”
Kwak sank five birdies and needed only 25 putts — an average of 1.4 per hole — to navigate the course.
“He was lights out on his putting,” Alinen said. “But his mental toughness is by far his greatest asset. He believes he’s going to make those putts. He believes, with the wind in his face, that he can hit a low drive. He believes that — it doesn’t matter what’s going on — he can hit the ball and make it work for him.”
Kwak moved with his family from Korea to Snohomish County at age 8 and began attending golf camps at the Columbia Super Range in Everett.
Training under coach Kevin Mackay, Kwak quickly developed into an elite golfer and now regularly competes in national tournaments. In 2014, he won the 13-year-old division of the U.S. Kids Golf Teen World Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
“He plays national-championship golf all over the nation,” Alinen said. “And so he understands weather. He understands mental toughness. And that’s the key thing out there.”
Kwak led Kamiak to a second-place team finish, despite the Knights missing their Nos. 2 and 3 golfers, one of whom was competing in a national tournament in Sacramento, California. Kamiak finished with 320 points, while St. George’s School of Vancouver, British Columbia, took the team title with 310 points.
Arlington senior Connor Stephens shot a 2-over 74 to tie for second place with Mount Vernon’s Austin Darnell. Everett’s Austin Duffy tied for fourth with a 76 and teammate Andrew Martin tied for seventh with a 78 as the Seagulls took third place in the team standings with 326 points.
“We haven’t been able to field a team for qualifying scores in a couple of years,” Everett coach Darrell Olson said, “so it’s nice to get a competitive team where we feel like we can go out and play with everybody. … We’re young, so this is a good confidence booster for them.
“The weather was brutal, and I think their mindsets were perfect to fight through the different systems that came through with rain, wind and sleet. … Any of those scores in the 70s were solid, so good efforts by them.”
The tournament honors former Everett G&CC member Tom Dolan, who passed away in 1981. Prior to his death, Dolan gave money to the club to promote the game for young golfers.
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