Fresh from a victory in the recent Snohomish County Amateur golf tournament, Reid Martin of Mukilteo claimed an even bigger prize on Thursday by winning the Oregon Open Invitational at Awbrey Glen Golf Club in Bend, Ore.
Martin, a 19-year-old Kamiak High School graduate and a member of the University of Central Florida golf team, finished the 54-hole event with a final-round score of 6-under-par 66 for an 8-under total of 208. That was one stroke better than fellow amateur Alex Moore, a member of the Oregon State University golf team.
The Oregon Open is one of several tournaments put on each year by the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA, “and I’ve been playing the sectional stuff since I was 14 years old,” Martin said by telephone from Oregon. “It’s always been a dream of mine to win and now it’s finally come true.
“I accomplished something that I never have before,” he said. “This is just another stepping stone in my career that I can build off of and use to make myself a better player.”
Martin began the day at 2 under par, making him one of several contenders heading into the final 18 holes. He was 4 under after eight holes and then ran off consecutive birdies on the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th holes.
He added another birdie on No. 15 to go 9 under, but gave a stroke back on the final hole with a three-putt bogey. By then, though, “I knew I had a couple of shots to play with,” he said. “Unfortunately I made a bogey (on No. 18), but I knew I was still probably going to win.”
Martin led all three rounds to win the Snohomish County Amateur by seven strokes in late May. Last weekend he tied for 13th in a field of 200 amateur golfers, including some of the top collegiate players from the West Coast, at the Royal Oaks Invitational in Vancouver, Wash.
Martin had a strong final round in Vancouver, “and right after that I drove over to Bend,” he said. “I was feeling so good about my game. I think this is the best I’ve ever felt about my game. I’m feeling more confidence than I ever have.”
Even though the Oregon Open includes many of the top pros in the Pacific Northwest, Martin said he was not intimidated.
“I don’t want to sound cocky,” he said, “but I know I can play with the best. I have the game to be there. … I’ve been playing pretty well recently, and now I know I can play right there with them.”
Martin received $750 for his victory while Moore earned $600. Brian Nosler, who tied for third and was the top pro in the field at 6-under 210, won $6,000.
Several other area players had strong showings at the Oregon Open. Amateur Jeff Neeley, who represents Mukilteo’s Harbour Pointe Golf Club, was 11th with a 1-over 213. Ryan Benzel of Bothell finished at 3-over 215.
Amateur Eric McCardle of Whidbey Golf and Country Club tied for 20th at 5-over 217, David Phay of Whidbey G&CC tied for 26th at 6-over 218, and amateurs Dylan Goodwin from Harbour Pointe and Matt Epstein of Everett G&CC tied for 30th at 7-over 219.
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