EVERETT — Shorewood’s Max McKinley and Kamiak’s Mark Strickland converged on the green of the fifth hole at Everett Golf and Country Club, having just completed their rounds at the Tom Dolan Memorial Golf Tournament.
With a group between them, finishing up its final hole after a shotgun start, the two players — widely considered the tournament co-favorites — exchanged nonverbal signals indicating that they each shot a 1-under 71. It looked like the two seniors might be headed to a playoff to decide the tournament’s medalist. Only Jackson’s David Won hadn’t putted out yet.
The sophomore Timberwolf sank his putt, giving him a 71 that both sent him into a three-way playoff with McKinley and Strickland and clinched a team triumph for Jackson — a two-stroke victory over Kamiak.
“They are great players I wasn’t trying to beat them (going into the tournament),” said Won, the second-seeded player for Jackson. “I was just trying to do my best. My best was pretty good today.”
Jackson’s team victory means it holds a 5-4 edge over Kamiak in all-time Dolan team titles. The Knights won the previous two years and no other school has walked away with the trophy.
It took one extra hole, a 398-yard par 4, to decide the individual champ. After Strickland caught the edge of the rough with his drive, McKinley — a left-hander — sliced his drive deep into the left rough behind a tall tree. Won put the pressure on, outdriving both and landing in the middle of the fairway.
Strickland fired back with a nifty shot out of the deep stuff to within 20 feet of the pin.
McKinley had no shot at the green and was happy to chip out to within about 25 yards of the pin in the light rough on the front left of the green area.
“After I hit my drive and I saw their two shots, I was just like, get it up toward the green and get it up and down to get to the next hole,” the Shorewood captain said.
Won’s approach leaked left and just off the green, setting up what proved to be the winning shot for McKinley.
“I just said go for it,” McKinley said. “Don’t leave it short. Try to make it or at least go by the hole.”
His chip came out of the rough hot but checked up and McKinley called for it twice to go in before the ball nuzzled up to the pin and dropped. It was a shock to everyone in the nearly 50-person gallery that followed the players up the fairway.
He made good on the his prediction made to his teammates on the ride to Everett, which he changed in the car after initially saying he’d finish first with a 67.
“I just changed my mind and I was like I want to go to a playoff and have a birdie on the last whole to win it.” McKinley said. “That’d be cool because you see it on TV and everyone gets excited … I didn’t tell myself I was going to chip it in but a birdie is a birdie.”
Strickland’s attempt to tie ended up 2 inches left and Won two putted for bogey giving the players second and third, respectively.
McKinley was inspired after watching another lefty win Sunday at the Master’s when Phil Mickelson captured his third green jacket.
“I’m glad he won.” McKinley said. “I’m a Phil guy.”
Strickland, although happy with his playoff hole, felt he left some chances to win it on the course in regulation.
“I definitely left some shots out there,” he said. “I could have won pretty easily.”
The tournament featured 22 teams, including all of Wesco, and 105 individuals. King’s — the lone 1A school — was impressive, finishing third and shooting 314. Glacier Peak was fourth at 324 and Lake Stevens fifth with 332.
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